Gods Eater Burst: Sins of a Messiah
by Strife Atreyu
Summary: Actions are not derived from strength of heart, but from the primitive fear that lurked within one's mind. In this fear, anger would be created. With anger comes the inhibition of sight. The solution was simple, get rid of the fear. The road he'd take would be filled with scorn, yet he'd go through it for the two he held close... even if it means taking their hate as well. Revising
1. Adolescence

**Special thanks to Headslammer and Ragner for making the first fan fiction of their characters. You guys helped in making some of this. Don't worry, I won't use any of your jokes.**

**4/3/12- Revised it.**

* * *

><p>Bright orange light flooded the large room, filled with boisterous laughter of both man and woman, enjoying a good drink after a hard day's work. A few patrons from the establishment waved at him, entering with grins that spoke of familiarity. He nodded back in an almost automatic gesture, one hand tapping below the counter and making sure his protection, a simple Japanese tanto, was ready to be drawn as quick as the wind, in case of any of his more violent patrons start another brawl in his establishment. Yuka trusted him after all, wouldn't do to let her bar get trashed because the bartender didn't want to get his hands dirty.<p>

Assorted bottles gleamed, reflecting the sunset's light with an eery glow that basked the room, along with a few lit lights. As always, his hands were moving in a practiced recipe, pouring drink after drink and mixing them, adding little details from familiar customers he knew.

"Wha?" A slurred voice from a large bear of a man shouted over the usual hustle and bustle, silencing the other patrons as the scene unfolded, suddenly watched by everyone's eyes.

"Ya...go' a problem...?" Another screamed back, this one nearly as big as the other man.

He sighed, more idiots. He swore he sometimes didn't get paid enough for this job.

"If you wanna fight," Wolf Arashi interrupted with a drawl, as if bored by the upcoming of a fist fight. "then take it outside."

"Shaddup, pretty boy!" His eye ticked in response, Wolf jumping over the counter and walking up to them.

"I said," Wolf growled. "take it outside."

"And what'cha gonna do if we don't?" Slurred, smelling of heavy alcohol as well. He was probably thrown out of a few more bars before he came here.

A good portion of people looked nervous, though some patrons were just watching with an exasperated look, as if they'd seen this happen before. A few others stood up, ready to tackle the two and throw them out, but Wolf eased them. He didn't need the help, he didn't even need his sword. Not for these drunks.

"If you wanna fuck each other up, be my guess." Wolf muttered calmly. "But leave my bar outta this."

"Screw," the drunk hiccuped. "you!"

And the first punch was thrown to Wolf's bored face.

Which he casually leaned his head over and avoided.

Drunk, clumsy and off balance, it didn't take much but a simply nudge to send the first drunk sprawling into the wooden floor. A second fist came from the second thug aimed for his chest, the blonde batting it away and elbowing the man's neck, nearly crushing his windpipe. Wolf watched the man clutch his neck, backing away whilst choking, and running into another few patrons' table, the drunk heaving when his muscles relaxed and he could breathe again.

"You...you son of a..." And the first drunk was finally up, charging with a loud roar.

A simple leg outstreched from Wolf's side and the thug ran full force into a trap that he felt with a sickening crunch.

"Graaaaaaaaaah!" Wolf looked annoyed at his pain.

"Keep it down, you're disturbing the people outside and scaring away my customers." He commented.

"My leg! My fucking leg!"

Sigh.

"Shut up." A kick to the head solved that problem. "You're lucky I didn't aim for your penis, asshole."

He felt a rush of wind and he stepped to the side, outside the range of a kick aimed for his head. So, the second idiot got up, already. He must be getting soft...usually, the thug would still be choking on his own throat. But no matter...

He threw his head back, his hair staining itself red as another sickening crack was heard, the thug's nose leaking blood as Wolf crushed it under his skull. He would have screamed, but the kick sent to his sternum had already lifted him off his feet and out the large double doors of his bar, and into the dirty unforgiving streets. Wolf sighed again, bending down and grabbing the other thug's scruff and dragging him to the door, where he deposited him on top of his partner in a rather compromising position.

"And stay out!" He shouted to their unconscious bodies and walked back in his work place.

* * *

><p>He was regular.<p>

Normal.

Well, maybe a bit cold but he couldn't trust people on a whim, even if he wished to, right? If the world ends, people are bound to be a bit screwed up, some more physically than mentally.

Rushing a glove clothed hand through his messy spiky blonde hair, his blue eyes tinted with annoyance, partly for being kept in the dark on what this so-called 'aptitude test' would require, partly for his dislike and impatience on things such as these.

Fenrir was a glorified company, in charge of keeping humans safe from aragami, beasts that litterally ripped mankind a new one. A threat so large that any war, famine or disaster couldn't compare or even come close to their shadow. Aragami were invincible, human weapons were making them stronger rather than denting their numbers. It was as if a child was throwing paper to a rabid beast, futile and only making it's fury grow before it would eventually rip skin and flesh apart. Nuclear weapons were nothing but snacks to them, bombs were a simple way of warming their titanium skin. Guns weren't even as effective as a mosquito bite.

Humans were destroyed, not defeated. It couldn't have been a defeat if it wasn't a fight to begin with. Nothing but a slaughter of lambs who were trapped by predators in a small cage bursting with sheep. And for a while, they'd lost hope. Aragami were superior to anything the humans had. So they ran and ran before they hid like rats in a sewer and placed a glass wall to protect them. So they lived in fear, in darkness and just when all had seemed to forsake them, a miracle happened. A beacon of light in a world filled with nothing more than darkness.

Mankind found power, once more.

A god arc was created, and with them, the Gods Eaters.

* * *

><p>"Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long." The voice startled him from his thoughts, a look of bewilderment arising, questioning where had the voice come from when a room, high above this floor, lit up, showing three shadowy figures through the tinted glass.<p>

"Welcome to Humankind's last fortress, Fenrir. We will now test your compatibility as one of the anti-aragami punitive force, the Gods Eaters." Wolf raised an eyebrow. Staring simply at the man inside with coldness, it would have made anyone human uncomfortable,"Please try to relax. You'll get better results that way." A faint look of annoyance lit up his ice-cold stare and he took a deep breath, more of a sigh than a way to calm himself.

"If you're ready stand in front of that machine over there, in the center of room." The voice, Wolf noticed, had a small amount of nervousness. Would this be that dangerous?

Or was this whole proccess just that important?

A hand through his spiky, unruly hair and a few seconds later, the blond walked forward, impassive and silent. He could feel the stares of the supervisors through the window, gazing not at him but at the machine. Finding the right slot, Wolf placed his arm down, hoping for the best. A mechanic hiss, and Wolf felt his arm be crushed under the weight of this machine, a small shriek of metal inside and whirring mechanics. His skin was ripped off, and replaced by something else. Cold, metallic and currently tapping into his nerves with no regard for his well-being.

Needless to say, it hurt like a bitch.

Wolf winced, finding the pain as one more to add to his experiences and chuckling despite it all. Another whir of machines and his nerves being attached to an alien substance and his hand was free.

A bright red armlet gleaming in artificial light.

Bringing his hand up, he was mildly amazed at the weight of the sword in his hand. It wasn't heavy, yet neither was it very light. He suspected it's weight to be around a regular sword, perhaps a bit heavier by a kilo or two.

"Congratulations, you are now the first of the Far East branch's New-Type Gods Eaters." Another unnerving stare of apathy, "This concludes the aptitude test."

"Now that we know you're a match, you'll be going for a medical check-up next. Now then, I'd like you to wait in the room beyond that door. Don't hesitate to let anyone know if you start to feel…unwell."

Wolf gulped, one of the few signs of nervousness his persona had not lost. He was human, after all...

Part-aragami now, but still human...right?

...Right?

Giving the vague outline of a man an annoyed look, he put the blade back and walked out of the training center, not knowing of the plans fate had placed on his shoulders.

_Would a god become a human?, or will a human turn into a god?_

Wolf left the room, doors hissing shut behind him and his eyes ripping away from the place, choosing to wander with almost childish curiosity around the reception. A girl, young and around his age of sixteen, was putting up a smile whilst talking with another person in a red jacket, this one probably older than him, yet while the smile seemed genuine, Wolf could see a faint twitch of annoyance every now and then. A few other Gods Eaters were wandering, accessing what was probably those 'terminals' he had heard about, some were chatting in a booth of sorts, others were near a strange gate. He saw the contraption open once, showing a room full of god arcs much stronger than what his seemed to be equipped with.

"Hey, want some gum?"

"Oh, I'm all out. It seems I took the last piece. Sorry 'bout that."

"I am Kota Fujiki, so you were a match too?"

A nod in reply, not even a grunt, Kota was starting to think he was a mute.

"Right…so you're a rookie as well."

"Didn't we get past that?" His deep tone nearly whispered, staring simply at him.

Kota grinned, as if he felt accomplishment in making Wolf finally speak before speaking once more, "That makes two of us." His smile grew a bit wider, Wolf looking strangely at the joyous redhead, wondering how such a bright outlook still existed in this world. Perhaps his parents? Mayhaps a close friend influenced him.

"You must be my age or maybe a bit older. Oh well, I'm still you're senior by a nanosecond."

"Nice to meet you." Wolf said, simply outretching his hand in a form of greeting.

Kota nodded, shaking his fellow rookie's outstreched hand.

"Stand up." A woman, around her mid-thirties sounded, her clipboard occupying her but her attention was somewhat focused on them, if the commanding tone would suffice as evidence.

"Wha-?"

"I said stand up!" A rising ire behind that impasssive glare had Wolf's familiarity, seeing as his own anger rose in almost the same way.

Whether it was fear or indifference, the new-type stood at attention, noticing the woman's arm was covered by a red band, similar to his with a small difference. Yellow tape wrapped around it's shape, twisted around and under, further solidifying his hypothesis on oracle cells.

Once you get high, you'll never get low.

"I'm Tsubaki Amamiya. I will be your supervisor until you have both shown the skills of a true Gods Eater. Now, you have your medical check-ups in a few moments, so I'll make this quick. Both of you will be assigned to the 1st squad. You haven't a single say in this matter, as the high survivability rates are perfect for you rookies. Fenrir cannot lose such a valuable asset." Wolf got a feeling he was the valuable asset she were talking about and raised an eyebrow. What was so different about a 'new-type' anyway?

"Alright. You, Wolf Arashi, is it? Report to Dr. Sakaki's lab in twenty minutes. Fujiki will be informed when his own check-up is ready."

"Yes ma'am!" Kota saluted.

"Dismissed!"

And with that, she turned around and walked away, her clipboard occupying most of her attention. Scary…though good looking…as she was, Wolf admitted. Wolf sighed, walking off in a random direction if only to explore and sate his curiosity.

"Wait for me!"

Whirling his head around, Wolf walked slower in an attempt to walk and stare at the same time and, so,of course Murphy's law took effect. Wolf knowing this when, with unbecoming foolishness, he got flipped over by a stationary desk, knocking himself down and onto the floor, was bombarded by falling office materials, one paperweight falling and busting his forehead.

"Woah, dude! You alright?"

A loud laugh and a passing Gods Eater shouted, "Watch where you're going, rookie!"

"Curse you, Murphy..." Wolf mumbled, rubbing his sore head in an attempt to alleviate some pain, making note of the light trickle of blood running down his forehead.

"Woah! Man, you're bleeding." Kota kneeled down, some form of worry clouding his eyes.

"It's just a scratch." He touched where he felt his wound opened, emotionless face ever so...well, emotionless, I suppose.

"Be more careful next time." Whatever Wolf had to say, he stopped when the red haired receptionist hit the intercom.

**"Kanon Daiba, please report to the medical wing. I repeat, Kanon Da..."**

"C'mon man. I think I know where that is." Giving the blond a hand, Kota grinned when a small 'thanks' was mumbled under his breath, before walking off in his usual stride to a lift.

_Medical Bay, 12: 52 PM, Den_

"I'm here! Who's hurt?" One pink-haired girl burst through the door, just missing a piece of tech that would've probably cost her if she was a ditz and knocked it over.

"S-saya..." A small voice that neared delusional made her way to her ears, ringing as if shocked.

"Who?" She asked, her attention turned to the teen that sat on a bench, blood painting the left side of his face crimson red and doing little to convince her he didn't suffer a sound beating to his cranium.

He stuttered, before his eyes turned cold and he shook his head, before speaking, "I'm sorry...you just remind me of someone."

Kanon smiled cheerily, "Well, it's fine. Now, let me see that head wound."

A pile of bandages lay next to her, and she started laying what looked (and felt) like disinfectant, a familiar sting of pain doing little to bother Wolf from his emotionless look.

...

"So...are you new?"

A nod. "I just passed my aptitude test."

"Oh? Is that how you got the concussion?"

Wolf sent her an annoyed glare, "I highly doubt-" He winced once, "-it's akin to something as severe as a concussion."

Kanon shrugged, wrapping bandages around the rookie's forehead.

"Come back tommorow and I'll remove the bandages..."

Wolf grunted, craning his neck and hearing a few audible pops, before walking out...coming back in a moment later.

"Do you know where-?"

"Dr. Sakaki's lab is down the hall, last door in front." She answered, fixing the medicinal appliances with her back turned.

"Um...thanks." A smile from her and he actually smiled back.

'How long has it been since I smiled?' His absent thoughts ran rampant, almost finding himself in another of his deeper trances and so, took out his Ipod, blaring music in his ears and keeping him somewhat grounded.


	2. Crawling

"Hmm..." Paylor Sakaki mused, staring curiously at the late rookie, oddly annoyed at his blunder in punctuality, "You got here 956 seconds later than I expected... You might want to work on manners, new-type."

Wolf nodded once, his stoic eyes never leaving Sakaki's closed lids before mumbling out a heart-felt, 'My bad' at his sixteen minute tardiness.

"And what exactly happened to your forehead?" Johannes inquired.

"A paperweight..." A small twitch on Wolf's face showed his displeasure before he continued, "I wasn't looking when I rammed into the receptionist's desk."

A small smirk appeared appeared on Johannes' otherwise schooled face, the good doctor beside him chuckling instead.

"Hibari won't be pleased on that. She's a bit of a neat freak so do apologize when you see her again." Another chuckle, "I'm Paylor Sakaki, and I'm in charge of Aragami Technology Research and Development. We'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on. Welcome aboard, new-type."

"Pleasure to meet you." Wolf nodded, blue eyes showing a bit of friendly curiosity on the strange, close-eyed doctor.

"Now then, as you can see, I'm also a little bit late with my preparations." Paylor's typing was faster than Wolf thought possible, his fingers moving rapidly across his computer though all the while, Paylor was giving an accusing stare at the director, "Johannes, why don't you get your business out of the way first?"

His boss gave him a small glare, almost unnoticed by Wolf and started scolding the doctor, "Dr. Sakaki, I think it's high time you learned how to separate business from private matters."

Sakaki just kept typing.

Sighing once from the headache known as Paylor Sakaki, the director returned whatever was left of his patience to Wolf, "I wish to thank you for taking the Aptitude Test and congratulate you on passing. My name is Johannes von Shicksal. I'm in charge of the Fenrir branch of this division. Once again, I thank you for taking part in the aptitude test. I expect great things from you."

"He's a former techie too, you know." Sakaki interrupted. "the new-type medical check-ups interest you to no end, don't they, Johan?"

"I decided to retire because we have you, Sakaki. Keep that in mind."

"Did you ever really retire though?" Sakaki's smiling face turned serious, and the director met his gaze with a chilling disposition. Wolf could almost see the tension in those two, derived from experiences that went back long before now. Finally, Sakaki smiled his creepy grin again and went back to the information scrolling down his half a dozen monitors. Johan redirected his gaze to Wolf, the blonde not asking the question that was paging his mind.

"Well then. Let me just explain to you our objectives once more. Your direct duties are very simple. They are to keep the Aragami in this region at bay and to gather materials, which are then converted into resources needed for the maintenance of this base, as well as for the completion of the impending 'Aegis Project'."

Wolf raised an eyebrow, a small, unsaid question asking what in the name of Earth was the 'Aegis Project'.

"Ugh... Look at these numbers..."

Johannes cleared his throat, Paylor not giving any indication of noticing his friend's annoyed features.

"The 'Aegis Project' is, simply put, a plan to create a utopia impregnable against Aragami attacks. It's located far out to sea, close to the former Sea of Japan trench."

"Haha!" the doctor interrupted again in triumph, Wolf grinning wryly at the annoyed director.

"Once the project is complete, humankind will be able to avoid extinction. That is, at least for a while."

"Amazing! So this is what a New-type is like!" The doctor grinned wryly and Wolf suspected his interruptions were more of a hobby than an accident.

The director closed his eyes, Wolf seeing a twitch of sorts and stopped his grin from widening once more, in fear of getting on the man's bad side.

Johannes spoke carefully to avoid growling in impatience. "Paylor, you're disrupting my lecture."

"Oh, sorry. these stats are just so amazing I got carried away."

The director turned away, his fake smile back but not hiding the annoyance in his tone at all, "At any rate, the fate of humanity is at stake, so please give it your best effort."

Wolf nodded in response.

"Very well then. I'll be taking my leave here. I'll leave the rest to you, Paylor. Send me the data when you're done." Johannes gripped Wolf's shoulder and nodded encouragingly before he left, white jacket disappearing behind a red door.

"Okay. We're good to go now. Just lie down on the bed inside that room."

Wolf nodded his consent, albeit suspiciously. But he obeyed, nonetheless and entered. The room was painfully white. White walls, white ceilings, white lights and a white floor. A bed, lined with green sheets, stuck out like a sore thumb in the massively pale room that would make any painter desperately try to cover everything with at least a semblance of color other than its absence. Wolf nearly flinched at everything, the color was becoming an annoyance with the sheer quantity displayed in the small space.

Sakaki followed him in, the white haired doctor appearing beside him as the door then flicked back into place. Wolf noted with a hint of irritation, that the door was white as well.

"...this place needs a decorator..." Wolf said, half-serious, half-joking.

Sakaki seemed to take it as a joke and laughed. "I quite agree. But budget cuts and all that. Now, lay down the bed and we'll conduct a small...check-up for any malfunctions."

"Care to explain?" Wolf asked, laying down the bed, facing the large and bright lights of the room with a small frown.

"I suppose. I'll need a sample of your blood and you'll also have to take your first cell injection." Sakaki replied. He held up one hand, in it was a needle filled with a pale yellow substance. "Alright, this'll hurt a bit but you'll be fine."

Wolf grunted, Paylor taking that as the blonde's blessing and proceeded. Grabbing one arm, the doctor tied a cloth above the elbow, and slowly pierced Wolf's skin with an empty injection, the new-type feeling a sharp, painful prickle but no more. Paylor pulled the injection up, the plastic sucking up air and the dark crimson liquid in Wolf's veins. Once that was done, the doctor removed the can, leaving the needle in place and placing the yellow container in. Paylor applied pressure and the injection dwindled down, the liquid pouring into Wolf's arm and responding to the Bias Factor now being supplied by the armlet.

"Know what this yellow liquid is?"

"Oracle cells." Wolf replied.

"Ah, read up already on gods eaters?" Sakaki said, good-naturedly. "Johan would be impressed."

"So what's this procedure anyway?" Wolf ignored the tingling sensation running around his right limb, steadily expanding to the rest of his body now.

"Nothing but a medical check-up. You can think of it as maintenance for gods eaters." Sakaki held one finger up. "Oracle cells are injected into the host body, that being you gods eaters, once every few months. Otherwise, the oracle cells in your body will eventually deteriorate, and with it, your overall effectiveness in battle. However, we also can't haphazardly shove the cells down your throat. Not too much, or you mutate. Not to little, or it's a waste of potential. Which is why we have these medical check-ups. We discern just how much you need, since the quantity may change whilst you mature continuously through aging."

"How much is average?"

"It varies from person to person and age to age. But yours is...quite high."

"Is that bad?"

"Contrary to what you may think, no. It seems your body is naturally adaptable to oracle cells, more so than most of the leaders in the branch even...it truly is remarkable, new-type or not."

"Uh...thanks, I guess."

...

"Hey, doc...my arm..."

"Hm? Is something wrong?"

"It's hurting..."

"...Strange." Sakaki mused, standing up from his tinkering with the computer and coming over to look at Wolf's hand. Clothed only in a white shirt, since his jacket was removed for necessity, the blonde gripped his bicep, his face twisted into a mix of confusion and pain. "Phantom pains aren't a usual symptom...but rest assured, it has happened a few times before. So there's not much to worry over. It'll disperse soon enough."

Wolf nodded, head still lowered at his arm.

Sakaki looked unsure at him.

"New-type...let me see your eyes."

"Huh?" Wolf's head turned slightly to his direction.

"Let me see your eyes." Sakaki replied.

"O...kay." Wolf drawled.

Sakaki's heart crawled into his throat.

"Just out of curiosity, what color are your eyes?"

"Huh?"

"Humor me."

"...Blue."

"Just blue?"

"Yup."

"No other shade?"

"Sky blue."

"Not heterochromic?"

"My eyes have always been blue. Both of them."

"Oh, Johan is going to have a fit over this..." Paylor grimaced.

"Huh?"

"You're showing signs of aragami infection." He said, the doctor already going over to the table in the corner and pulling out numerous pills and equipment.

"...I'm guessing that's bad."

"Not bad." Paylor grinned before a frown came at the last words of his sentence, the doctor pulling out what Wolf recognized as a sedative. A powerful one at that. "Worse."

Wolf sighed, his right eye glowing unceremoniously gold.

_Medical Bay, 6:30 PM, the Den_

For those who've never had the 'pleasure' of coming back to consciousness after more or less getting drugged, I'd like to elaborate that it's a weird feeling.

First, your sense of hearing comes back into your ears. Any sound that would be audible would be, at this part, nothing but a dull echo that left you more disoriented than you already are. After that, your nose will start to pick up hints and traces of scents around your environment, painting an image of what to expect in your mind. Soon, your body starts to transmit from its hibernative state, sending waves of signal back to the brain on its current distress, whether it's numb or what position it was in. In this stage, your consciousness will start to reactivate your own brain waves and allow you to think, if not a bit groggy. With that, the body starts to pick up again until you realize your eyes have already opened, simply needing to adjust to the space around you.

"Ugh," Wolf groaned his hand making a move for his forehead, more specifically the headache Sakaki's little 'procedure' had left him with.

Forcing himself to a sitting position, the blonde felt a twinge in his, as he had noticed, bandaged right arm, the white cloth wrapping around it tightly but leaving the armlet to gleam in the medical bay's artificial light.

Now that he thought about it, all this white was giving him a headache. Seriously. Wolf wasn't picky, not by the very least as ghetto life wasn't all that supplying either. But...well...he'd go insane in record time if he was locked in a white room for god knows how long. He made a mental note to color the damn wing when he could...

Preferably, with something that wouldn't make the occupants want to slit someone's throat just to paint the walls with a little color.

Speaking of color...

A flash of pink from the corner of his eye alerted him to someone else in the room. Kanon Daiba napped peacefully, her head folded over her arms while she laid it down on his bedside, dozing with a light snuffle in her sleep. Wolf didn't want to wake her up, partly because it was rude, and partly because he had bad experiences with rousing pink haired girls from their sleep...

"Hey..." But he seriously needed to know if he was turning into a man eating monster.

"Zzzzz..." Kanon was unresponsive.

"Hey..." He tried again.

"ZZZzzzz..." Still nothing.

Wolf nudged her.

"H-huh? Wha-?" Her eyes landed on Wolf and she let loose an 'eep'. "I-I'm sorry I slept on you."

"It's fine."

"Where's Sakaki?"

"Oh...he left a f-few hours ago." Kanon replied, standing and walking over to a drawer and taking out a stethoscope. Coming back, the pinkette pressed it to his clothed chest. "Breath in."

Wolf complied.

"Breath out."

Wolf complied.

"Breath in...breath out..."

It continued for a few more times, Kanon changing the position in where she listened every few times as she monitored his vitals. On occasion, she'd frown and write something down a clipboard, giving the shy girl a professional outlook that counteracted her demeanor, minutes before.

As they were conducting the exam, the door opened, snapping their attention to it. Kanon smiled in greeting to the person, a young girl in black and red clothing, with a black beret covering the top of her blonde hair, coming through with a cheery grin.

"Erina, sneaked off from your brother again?"

The girl, Erina smiled at Kanon. Wolf was unsure if she noticed him, yet dismissed it as something that didn't really matter. Instead, he tuned out their words with his music, plugging the earphones into both his ears and starting a tune. He observed, not stalked since he was in the room long before the girl, the two engage in a casual conversation. Kanon coming to her knees to face the girl in eye-level, still with a smile. Erina seemed to like Kanon, having wrapped a small hug around the pinkette as a greeting before conversing with her.

"Hey, who's he? I've never seen him around..." Erina pointed at Wolf, the blonde taking off his earphones when the little girl pointed at him.

"Oh, him? He's a new guy. It's his first day, today." Kanon said.

"Really? He must suck if he got hospitalized this soon." Erina whispered, though Wolf heard her perfectly if the tic mark on his forehead was any indication.

"I'm not here because I was stupid." Wolf growled. "I'm here because the one who injected me made a mistake."

"Blaming your co-workers?" Erina made a disgusted face. "How feeble. tut tut."

His tic mark got bigger. "Not as feeble as you, shrimpy."

"I am not small!" It seems the rich girl was very...concerned of her height.

"Keep telling yourself that." Wolf scoffed.

Kanon watched as the two bantered on, Erina having gotten up to the blonde's face and was now on top of him with his collar folded into her clenched fists. Shaking her head, the pinkette simply went back to gathering any other data she could recover from Wolf's diagnosis, combined with his medical history, one which, oddly enough, was filled with broken bones.

A lot...

Like fourteen pages of them...

Good lord, this dates back to when the seventeen year old was eight!

Her brows knit together at the injuries displayed on the chart. Most of them were unobtainable by self-infliction or by accident. Not to mention the fewer reports ranging from small fractures to concussions.

What exactly happened to this guy?

Kanon, in quite a long time, raised a suspicious gaze to the arguing blonde.

* * *

><p>"Is he alright?" Director Von Schicksal, hands crossed in front of his face as always, inquired to the head of research.<p>

Sakaki was silent for a moment, contemplating if he should scold Johannes on his reckless endeavor before deciding against it. As the saying goes, 'there's a time for everything' and simply reported, "He should be well. But it was good we found this problem early, otherwise...well an aragami with that many oracle cells? Certainly wouldn't be a good way to spend resources."

Johannes sighed, his face showing weariness of a battle-weary soldier...no, not a soldier...

A leader.

His responsibility for the lives of people that hadn't even comeof age and yet had hardships of such great burdens, his own son incuded. He cursed the day he was given this job, though he knew he wouldn't have changed the moment had it even had a chance to reappear on his lap with a sign that said 'You fucked up'. No doubt...this burden, he was thankful for.

"Does he have any..." He trailed off, trying to find a word both he and Sakaki knew, "...injuries?"

Sakaki didn't answer, his smile dropping down into a rather harsh frown, as if seeing a thief rob an old woman of her belongings, before answering, "His arm is mutating." He admitted.

"Is it fatal?"

"...I can't say."

Silence once again took them. Johannes, leaning back on his chair and gripping the arm rests, the look of both guilt and of sadness flashing on his face before disappearing behind a sigh. Sakaki had rarely seen his friend like this. One of the few occasions he could count in one hand.

"It's too early to make assumptions...but his arm is still usable. Chances are it's even stronger."

"...Very well. Make sure to monitor his condition...and if he show's too many symptoms of transformation..."

He had no need to finish what he would say. Paylor knew him well enough.

"...Yes. If that's all, I have some work to do in my lab."

Quenching the putrid feeling in his gut, the director of the branch watched with blank eyes as his old friend left the room, the good doctor's platinum silver hair disappearing behind the metal door with a swish of movement from the mechanized entryway. Johannes sunk into his seat with an almost exasperated expression. Everything had gone off to a bad start. HQ would be chewing his ass off when, not if, word about this came to them. First new-type they got and he nearly turned into a bloody aragami and because of what? A miscalculation on the designers of the god arc? Now he had to take the blame for this one. Leader responsibilities and all.

He pressed a button on his desk. "Hibari."

"Yes, sir?" The professional tone of the orange haired girl was heard through a miniscule amount of static.

"Clear my schedule and inform the unit leaders of a meeting in central room F."

"As you wish."

"Also..." He paused. "Have Lindow watch the new-type closely. I don't want him going berserk without any prior warning or... preparations..."

"Affirmative, sir. Is there anything else?"

"No."

"Very well."

_**14 hours **_

"Does it hurt?"

Wolf shook his head.

"Okay...y-you'll need to excuse me...I have a patrol in half an hour and Shun will be mad if I'm late..."

"It's fine." Wolf nodded, not even sparing a glance.

A day had passed since he had been found himself back in the plain and chalk white walls of the medical bay, Kanon taking the time to be a mother hen in that small expanse of both of their quaint meetings.

Wolf had grown quite annoyed at the girl's constant pampering, though he was sure that she treated other patients similarly to him. She seemed like the type to make an irritatingly good fuss over the small things. It wasn't like he disliked the girl. Kanon sounded nice and he'd bet his right eye that the others in the den thought so too, but the ghettos made it so that you weren't very trusting. Fenrir let them live in its territory, and gave them a semblance of order through a sort-of police force. But...let's just say they did it less on enthusiasm for the civilians and more for the perks that came with the job. Wolf had a few run-ins with bastards like that and had spent more than one night in a jail cell for brutalizing the people who thought it wise to aggravate him.

He was let out, of course, thanks to his ties with a certain bar owner.

"Hey, if you start to feel bad or anything, there's a button on your left hand side." Kanon said, packing a few bandages into her satchel as per requirement of her duty as a field medic.

"Mm-hmm." He nodded again.

"And if you get hungry as well just..uh...press it."

"Right."

"...Are you sure you're fine?"

Wolf gave her a stare as if saying 'shouldn't you have more important things to do'. Kanon flinched and nodded, scurrying out quickly. Wolf sighed.

...

"If you feel any pain-"

"Get out!"

"Alright, alright!" Kanon shouted back, Wolf hearing the sounds of her boots clipping the floor in a running pace to the lift.

What was with that girl? Was she that...what was the word..._naive_ to completely ignore everything for a stranger's well-being? He supposed some people were like that...but really...

He then remembered his little sister was actually an example.

Sighing, the blonde dragged himself to his feet. His arm, despite the bandages that surrounded every nook and cranny of the ligament, was perfectly operable so there really wasn't any point in straying in the clinic. Bludgeoning whatever voice that told him to stay in the room , Wolf grabbed his jacket and his boots, the articles right beside his bed, and placed the footwear on. Grabbing his jacket in the other hand, he wrapped it around his shoulders as if it were a cloak and strolled out the clinic with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, Wolf." Kota greeted, seconds after he departed from the dreaded white walls. "I was gonna check up on you. You been cleared, yet?"

Wolf nodded in acknowledgement of his fellow rookie.

"Wow, you got hospitalized that quickly? It has gotta be a record that you got put in there twice in your first day. Man, bad luck." Wolf looked down, embarrassed on that particular tid-bit. Kota seemed to notice and gave him a good willed pat on the back. "Hey, I'm glad you're fine. But your arm looks like it went through a shredder with all the bandages. Are you sure you're allowed to take part in the classes?"

Wolf mentally put away the mention on 'classes' and dismissed Kota's worries. He smirked slightly and tried to put up a convincing front. "Don't wanna fall too far back, right?"

"Now you're talking! C'mon, the first class is starting. I bet it'll be awesome! Like fighting a pack of those ogretails!"

Wolf nodded in affirmative and followed the chip redhead without a noise.

_Simulation Room 9-A, 9:21 AM, the Den_

Kota was sorely disappointed when he found out about the REAL topics of the classes. Mainly, basic operation of the god arc and the standard practices of Fenrir, which included alarm details, fc or fenrir credits, used solely by gods eaters as well as the standard working gears of a military organization. It was little more than a lecture, really. A boring lecture, if Kota could voice his opinion. (Which he did, loudly when they met up in the cafeteria for lunch that afternoon.)

Luckily, Wolf, being a new-type and in that way, different, had his training directly supervised by the adviser, Tsubaki herself.

So after nodding goodbye to Kota's own wave of farewell, Wolf had quickly followed the older woman to the training room.

His hands clenched into white-knuckled fists on his god arc, the blonde wondering exactly what they would have him do. A room above him was lit, like the circumstances that pertained to reminding him of the first time he had entered one of the simulation rooms for his aptitude test. Fighting down the rising apprehension in his gut, the new-type set his blade's back to his shoulder and laid his left hand into the vestiges of his pocket, one of his earphones plugged into his ears on maximum volume.

"Arashi," His supervisor's voice rang inside the walls, vibrating off the speakers buried in the wide space surrounding him. "We're going to be conducting a low-level simulation to test your combat capabilities. Nothing too high up. As they say, 'don't disappoint'."

Wolf grunted.

_Simulation Commencing..._

_Battle Clearance 1_

_Integrating OGRE Unit_

In front of him, Wolf watched in morbid fascination as a pure dark...thing...materialized, black wisps of darkness curling together and forming whatever it was supposed to.

"Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Wolf muttered, setting his blade in front of him in a form different from the usual stance of a gods eater.

_Confirmed_

_Activating System ARAGAMI_

_Activating Combat Mode..._

_Commence battle simulation..._

_3..._

_2..._

_1..._

It lunged forward, a black blur flying with all its weight held out for Wolf to take, the blonde diving sideways to avoid the attack. Pivoting, the blonde dashed at the simulation from behind, features impassive when he raised the over-sized blade clenched in his hands, guiding it down and cleaving it in two with little more than a grunt of effort.

An electronic static fizzled within the slain beast, its entire frame crackling like a disturbed pool of water, before vanishing simply into nothing.

"...Very good..." He registered his supervisor say.

He supposed it was weird. Not the fact that he'd beaten the simulation in such a short amount of time. More likely, they didn't expect him to do so with the finesse of a trained swordsman. Well, they couldn't exactly blame him. He **was** told that it was a test of his combat capabilities and it would be downright rude to give them false information. Plus, he'd be breaking enough rules in the future. Might as well to be as obliging as he can be...for now anyway.

Swinging his god arc in a wide slash to throw away the imaginary blood, the blonde set it on his shoulder and waited for any orders.

"...It...seems you have some training with a weapon. Would you like to increase the difficulty?"

Wolf nodded.

"Very well."

_Battle Clearance increase_

_Level 1 to Level 10  
><em>

In a swirl of darkness, four of the dark projections appeared, flanking his every direction.

_Confirmed_

_Activating System ARAGAMI_

_Activating Combat Mode..._

_Commence battle simulation..._

_3..._

_2..._

_1..._

Wolf held his blade forward, core close to the ground and ran fully at the simulation in front. It responded in kind, rotating its body to attempt to brain him with its large tail. Wolf digging his heel in and leaping over the limb. Now upright, he registered one of the other hostiles jump forward at his peripheral vision, the blonde swiveling in the air and avoiding the jaws that clamped shut near his head. Landing softly on the ground, the rookie immediately had to dive to the right to avoid the hard tail of another that had come, crashing down to where he stood. Standing once again, Wolf saw the fourth made a charge at him. Hopping off the ground, the blonde used its face as a springboard and kicked off, grounding its lower jaw into the ground with the strength he used to launch himself into the air. Coming down, he raised his blade with both arms and brought it down, weight and all.

A sickening crunch was heard as the blade made contact with body of a simulation, what very much looked like blood, flying off as it was bisected. It disappeared, similarly to the first within a moment. Hearing the loud thuds of another beast, Wolf brought the flat side of his blade up, the metal impacting with the flesh of a charging simulated ogretail. His arms strained as they tried to hold the sword steady, yet the aragami were known for their brute strength. Wolf had no chance, even with something as small as this, yet he only skidded back, his arms shaking from the impact. Another strike from the same ogretail came, its tail flashing and coming upon him like a bat. He blocked once more, but the impact this time sent him careening back.

Righting himself in mid-air, Wolf skidded to a low crouch. His targets circled him slowly, gazing with blank yellow eyes at him, just waiting to take a not-so-proverbial chomp on his not-so-proverbial leg. Readying himself again in his normal stance, the blade held ready in front, to deflect, block and cut at the same time.

All observers, safe behind the glass panel above the room, watched with him with a close eye, gauging his level of skill with naturally obtained discernment from experience, Tsubaki included. Lindow watched with a faint smirk dancing on his lips, whilst Soma observed with a hand in his pocket, scowl visible under the blue hood of his jacket.

"What do you think?" Tsubaki questioned, her hands taking notes on her clipboard while the trio observed Wolf's abilities in battle.

"Not bad." Lindow acknowledged with a light grin. "You sure he's a rookie? He looks like he could give some of the other veterans a run for their money."

Soma scoffed. "Great. Is that all?" Irritated at the play of his time, the tanned gods eater got off from the wall and turned to the door.

"Wait just a moment, Shicksal." Soma growled at the elder sibling that used his family name. "Watch closely."

Soma's scowl dropped into a frown with a questioning look messaged to the older woman. Lindow observed the fight below, seemingly not paying attention to them.

"Yes, that's an order."

Soma snarled.

Below them, Wolf delivered a kick to the jaw of a stunned ogretail, the simulation feeling Wolf's boot dig into its cheek with absolutely no hesitation, sending it to the ground. Before Wolf could deliver a fatal blow however, another swung its tail at him, the blonde having no choice but to jump back to a safe distance as the monster he kicked stood up, looking even more pissed than he'd already made it.

"Did you see that?" Lindow asked.

"What?" Soma questioned.

"He kicked an aragami." Tsubaki replied.

Only then did Soma realize what that meant. A kick never should have hurt an aragami. It was resistant and invulnerable to physical attacks, bar ones delivered by a god arc. How could someone, a rookie, no matter how many oracle cells you packed into his body, wallop it with a simple punt? Normal guns didn't work. Normal blades didn't work. Hell, a **nuclear attack** didn't work.

"What is he?" He growled, the albino folding his arms and glaring at Wolf as he cut another laceration into an smiulation.

"It's just a simulation, right?" Lindow asked. "Maybe...it just malfunctioned?"

"Perhaps..." His older sister mused, yet she looked largely unconvinced.

Wolf ducked, an angry bite from the ogretail snapping at nothing but air. Clasping his sword, the blonde thrust its expanse above him, the tip exploding from the top of its head in a gory display while the middle buried itself in its skull. Apart from that wound, numerous lacerations scarred its black body, leaving almost no chance for the simulation to survive. Just to make sure though...

He twisted the hilt in his grasp, ripping the flesh apart crudely, before pulling it down, and cutting the beast in half. Wolf jumped away from it, and the simulation fell to the floor, its head sliced cleanly in half and its frame disappearing in a static.

"Holy shit..." Lindow swore. "this guy is brutal."

In all begrudging honesty...

Soma agreed...


	3. Lost

**Hooray for edits...**

**Whoopee...**

**-_- ...**

**Right...getting on with it.**

**Warning: Chapter will feature an extreme amount of angst and negativity to show darker parts of the life of a military organization. Some characters that show themselves to be chippy and carefree will be very...depressing.**

* * *

><p><em>Heat.<em>

_Heat scalded his face, blistered and burned his fingers into nothing more than lumps of flesh and pain. His small hands flared in his agony every time it would skid across something, be it the dirty gravel or his own skin. His eyes- eyes still filled with childish naivete, and with it, the innocence of one who had not yet seen the true horrors of life- snapped open. He blinked once, then twice, smoke burning at his iris and forcing tears to water it. He stifled a cry and curled deeper into a ball, packaging himself closer to the corner of a separated section of _the_ wall he had taken refuge in.  
><em>

_Hellfire of the richest crimson burned steadily across his home's edifices, licking the man made structures and eating away at the foundation. Houses crumbled, unlucky occupants trapped, burned and buried alive in the very structures that housed their heads for years. Above them, the night sky burned with a lunar sun, the pale full moon basking the top of the flames with a holy vermilion glow, yet its pale light would soon be concealed and it would only leave him to stare at the inferno crawling steadily to his small form. Storm clouds rolled in from the horizon, the smell of ozone mixing oddly with the ashes of his home.  
><em>

_"Hel...p." His voice was hoarse, his throat raspy and his mouth dry from all his unheard screams. "Mom...dad...help..."_

_His tears flowed freely down his cheeks, the boy reducing himself to what he was; a vulnerable child that needed to be saved._

_"Old man Mark..." He begged._

_"Miss Evergreen..." He cried._

_"Lin..." He sobbed._

_"I don't wanna die." The child curled up _tigh_ter in_to his ball, grasping his knees _to his ches_t, _tears s_topping once he ran ou_t.____  
><em>______

_________His hands hur_t. Where was his mo_ther _to whisper soo_thing words _to him?______________

______________He was afraid. Where was his fa_ther _to _tell him _to be brave?___  
><em>________________

__________________He was in danger. Where were _the people _tha_t were supposed _to pro_tec_t him?________________________

________________________Where were _the gods ea_ters?__________________________

__________________________"I don'_t wanna die..." His cracked voice u_t__tered, sof_tly._____________________________

_____________________________Ano_ther explosion rocked _the world, _this _time, from far away. Bu_t _the helpless child could see _the smoke rising, _the explosion reaching _to _the heavens before simmering and fading in_to oblivion._____  
><em>______________________________________

________________________________________"Someone..." His _tiny hands clenched _tigh_ter around his pan_ts' legs.____________________________________________

____________________________________________"Anyone..." Pain sho_t from his scarred palms._____________________________________________

_____________________________________________"Help!" He screamed._____________________________________________

_____________________________________________He howled, gargled and ye_t fierce and_ s_trong, _throa_t rup_turing and aching in suffering, mou_th s_tre_tching so wide, he _though_t he may have disloca_ted i_t, ye_t his voice echoed harshly across _the hellish scene around him.__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________**_thud_**  
><em>_________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________His head snapped _to _the origin of _the s_trange noise, sounding like a heavy piece of mea_t dropping _to _the ground.____  
><em>_______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________**_thud..._**  
><em>_________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________**__thud...__**__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________**___thud...___**__________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________A large shadow passed over him, _the child _too afraid _to look, in fearing of wha_t he would see.___________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________**ba-_thump..._**_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________**_ba-_thump...__**_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________Wha_t was _tha_t?__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________**ba-_thump..._**  
><em>_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________**_ba-_thump...__**__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________His hear_t was pounding?___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________"Mom? Dad?"___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________"Wolf!" A female voice...his mo_ther!____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________A woman, pink hair reaching up _to her wais_t rounded _the corner, eyes immedia_tely landing on him. Her grimed face, splo_tched wi_th ash, dir_t and wha_t looked suspiciously like dried blood, relaxing in_to relief for a momen_t, _the woman wrapping her arms around her quivering son as he embraced her as well._______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________"Are you okay? Where's your sis_ter, Wolf? Where's Saya?"________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________"I-I'm fine." He sobbed. "a-and I don'_t know abou_t Saya."__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________"Alrigh_t." She nodded, begrudgingly pushing him away ye_t keeping him in arms leng_th. "Le_t's ge_t you ou_t of here."________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________"No! I- I won'_t go un_til I see Saya!"__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________"Wolf-"__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________"Saya's my li_t__tle sis_ter! I need _to pro_tec_t her!"_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________**RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!**  
><em>______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________A beas_t's roar echoed in_to _the nigh_t, her mo_ther looking fearfully behind her and clu_tching _the child in her arms closer _to her. Momen_ts la_ter, an explosion- _this one dwarfing all _the res_t of _tha_t horrible nigh_t- rang clear, an af_tershock coming a second la_ter and knocking _them _to _the ground. His mo_ther moved immedia_tely, picking him up and dashing away in her red dress.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A dress Wolf remembered was originally whi_te..._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________She ran and ran, her child secured in her arms. Wolf fel_t his mo_ther naviga_te _the burning fields, screaming ou_t his fa_ther's and his sis_ter's name.___  
><em>__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________And soon enough, _they found some_thing...________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Wolf wished _they never did._________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________His fa_ther laid, sprawled on _the ground wi_th his face _twis_ted in e_ternal pain. He heard his mo_ther choke on her own sob and fel_t one of her hands cover his eyes, ye_t i_t was _too la_te._____  
><em>___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________His fa_ther, in_tes_tines and organs leaking from _the missing pa_tch of skin on his s_tomach...___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Flesh shredded around him...___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Clo_thes haggard and _torn apar_t by _the same mons_ters _tha_t wan_ted _to make a meal ou_t of him..._____  
><em>___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Wolf's brain burned _the image in_to his memory._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________"SAYA!" His mo_ther screamed, _turning away from _the abhorren_t sigh_t.__  
><em>___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_thud..._**  
><em>___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**__thud...__**____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________No...wha_t was _tha_t...?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_thud..._**  
><em>________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**__thud...__**_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________His mo_ther was righ_t here..._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________An inferno, _the very hea_t flying and scorching _the ear_th, exploded beside _them, sending him ou_t of his mo_ther's arms and in_to _the bliss of unconsciousness.  
><em>_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Panicked eyes snapped open, wet, cold sweat clinging to his brows with his blue irises awakening in a terrified revival to a deafening heartbeat. His breathing was haggard and his mouth, dry. Wolf strained to wake himself, strained to separate mere figments from the reality of it all. His bed's covers clung to his bare torso, the fabric wet and uncomfortable on his skin. Cold floated in, lazily through the air vents, bringing a shudder to his spine, contrasting heavily with his above average temperature. The blonde's own ears ringed, irritably into his own head, his pulse seemingly the only thing still audible in his room.

_'Calm down.' _It was **her** voice again, speaking the words its owner had soothed him with, years ago. _'Calm down, nii-chan. I'm right here.'_

**_I'm right here._**

"Another one..." He murmured closely to himself, pulse returning to normal with his ragged breathing stabilizing.

Memories. Dreams and nightmares of both the best and worst times of his life. His lucidity was addled by the things he had thought lost from the pieces that remained as his mind, only to find them once again from the deepest recess of his consciousness, merely idling in preparation for another bout of torture. But he couldn't let anyone know about that. Gods eaters needed to look remotely sane, and he needed to be a gods eater. Wolf wasn't one to attract attention, after all. If you went looking for trouble, it didn't just find you; it comes from behind and knifes your back.

He had the scars to prove it.

Sighing, the blonde squinted his eyes at the holographic image of a rising sun, the fake image rising slowly in his window, yet though false, the light it garnished into his room was strangely easing. Wolf gazed longingly at that lie. A beautiful lie of the real thing, created by man to comfort them as they hid into the depths to escape from their world, the world that had been destroyed and cast into a maelstrom of blood, most of which was their own. Lies like this one, like the orange haze drifting into his room, the faint glow of the breaking dawn, should be beautiful to anyone. Yet...

It was impossible for him to look at its grandeur without thinking of it as just another day he could lose his life. Just another day a child would become an orphan or a woman, a widow or a man, a drunken mess. Was he so different? Because he didn't look at a beautiful lie, but at the ugly truth?

All he needed was a grave urge to commit nihilism and he'd be no better than an aragami.

He chuckled at that grim line of thought, a hollow laugh that resonated deep within his throat and came out as a cackle of those who'd lost all they could. People who were living just for the sake of living and awaiting for death's cold grasp around their neck and for its dogs to gnaw at their bones, if only for the pleasure of slumber from the true reality.

It seemed fit for him; fit for a seventeen year old who hadn't even tasted the pleasures of companionship...

His judgement was perfect for this world... but at the same time, that was why it was so horrible.

He felt something wet on his cheeks and he licked at it.

**._..tears?_**

_Medical Bay, 7:25 AM, the Den_

Something was wrong...

Something was wrong and the pinkette couldn't place it, even as she tried to rack her mind on exactly what was causing the disturbance in her normal- looking day, yet nothing surfaced that sufficed as a viable explanation to her distraught...like a soft voice was whispering right at her ear, then disappearing as soon as she turned to look...

And it was dreadfully annoying her.

Furrowing her brows as she halfheartedly took an inventory check of the clinic's stock, blue eyes scanning the shelves with a discernment befitting her medical profession, Kanon attempted to flood the incessant voice that clawed at the back of her head with writing the items they'd soon require restocked. Her gloved hand labeled down 'analgesic pills' on the clipboard, her usually neat scribble turning into a barely legible drag of ink. Fighting the urge to scratch her head in muted annoyance, the medic settled for a sigh of utter irritation.

"What's wrong with me today?" She muttered under her breath, staring with half-lidded eyes at the clipboard that was a mess indistinguishable from chicken scratch.

Maybe a vacation would do her some good. She still had plenty of hours unused, having been busy balancing her second unit responsibilities along with her part time job as a nurse in the Den. Her mom was asking when she'd be back as well, and it'd been a trio of long months since they'd talked face to face instead of through the letters they sent. Yeah...a vacation sounded nice. Shun and Karel were giving her the evil eye from the missions, more on occasion after she'd 'unfortunately' shot them, so it may be a good way to let them cool off as well.

Yup, she would definitely go on a vacation!

Partially cheered up with the conviction of taking a rest at her actual house instead of the Fenrir issued bed in her quarters, Kanon nodded happily and got on with her day.

_FWOOSSHHH_

Unknown to her, her day would be getting much more complicated.

Swirling her head to turn at the intruder, the pinkette found herself facing the blonde new-type who'd faced quite the misfortune on his first day. Wolf, earphones tucked into one of his senses, walked into the medical bay, the door behind him sliding back to place after he entered. A jostle of annoyance disturbed his normally stoic face, the blonde looking quite irked at the check-ups that he'd have to take for a good while. His right arm was still quite bandaged under his sleeve, and only way Kanon could tell he was still wearing bandages was because some of the material still covered his fingers, where his gloves didn't extend to.

She smiled at the near pout on his face, hereby addressed as a 'near pout' because the girl was sure it should've been something akin to a scowl or a frown.

"H-hello." She greeted meekly, Wolf nodding in response. "A-are you here for your check-up?"

Another nod. Kanon frowned at his lack of words.

"Alright." Wolf watched her pen down something on the clipboard in her hands.

...

"Hey..." He muttered, the blonde raising his voice a little above a whisper. Kanon seemed to hear though, and turned to him.

"Hm?"

"I never did thank you, did I?"

"For what?"

"Worrying over me..."

"Oh, that? It's nothing." She dismissed with a casual wave.

"So my physical state means nothing?" Wolf raised an eyebrow.

"N-no! Uh...I just...um..." Kanon tried to explain, the reddening of her face derived from her, at least that's what she thinks, lack of tact.

It wasn't until she registered the smirk displayed on his lips that the pinkette got he was messing with her. Huffing at the blatant quip, she turned away, crossing her arms under her chest with a pout, and ignored the chuckle that rose from her companion's throat.

"Sorry."

Kanon sighed, then turned and smiled again. "It's fine."

"Seriously, though...thanks for taking care of me."

...

"Don't."

"Hm?"

"Don't thank me." She said, bitterly. "I hate it when people thank me, when they gratify me...because I know, someday...they'll be wishing I didn't. All of them will be wishing I didn't do anything or just falsify documents to keep them out of Fenrir."

"Grim thoughts for someone so young." Wolf bit back the hypocrisy in his own words.

"It's natural." She said. "You haven't seen the people that come back from the missions without a limb. You haven't watched them lash out at everything around them because they keep forgetting the aragami were nowhere in sight. You haven't heard their cries for forgiveness to men and women that didn't make it back with them...or maybe you're one of them already. I passed your room, last night...you were screaming a lot. But I guess everyone has a deep moving tragedy these days." She chuckled grimly.

"Everybody makes mistakes," Wolf uttered, "and everyday, when we go to sleep, we have to live, sleep and die with the consequences. When you and I accepted the offer of this life, the life of a gods eater, of a pariah to hate, we accepted all the anguish that comes with it, whether we meant to or not."

Kanon stared vainly at him, the sorrowing smile still on her lips.

"And you?" Wolf asked, suddenly.

"What about me?"

"Do you have these...nightmares?"

Kanon shrugged. "Everyone does. All of the people in here...they may not show _it_. But the truth is everyone just hides _it_ within their own persona, under the mask, a blatant lie of their own face. I've been damned by a lot of people who couldn't face the reality only because I was the nearest thing they could put all their hate in...and I can't blame them."

"Still, that's not right."

"Right and wrong is just a matter of perspective." Kanon replied, still with her smile. "Some people are thankful for when I or someone else get's them up to fighting shape...some aren't...and I have to wonder if I'm easing them or just sending them back to their death sentence."

"Guilt of a survivor?" Wolf asked, stoicism back on his features.

"No." Kanon shook her head and smiled, weakly at him. "Guilt of a healer."

Wolf couldn't help but notice how wrong that smile looked.

Forced.

Measured.

So fragile...so...

Fake.

Her blue eyes, eyes that no one so young as the girl in front of him should hold, shined with dulled innocence and grim knowledge.

"Hey, Wolf?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it possible...to have everyone forget your mistakes...except for yourself?"

Wolf answered with absolutely no doubt, "Yes."

Kanon chuckled morbidly at him.

"I don't think I like honesty so much..."

Wolf took a step forward, followed by another, and, for a while, the blonde's footsteps were the only things they could both hear. A clap of his boot's soles on the floor of the clinic was almost harrowing to her, and she barely felt his hand push up her chin to meet him squarely in the eye.

"Would you like me to lie to you?" He questioned. "Lie to you...and mean it?"

Kanon smiled.

"Yes, thank you. Yes."

* * *

><p>"Another one?" It was more of a statement than a question. A question required curiosity and a general lack of knowledge on the subject on hand. How Licca had pronounced it was anything but.<p>

Brendan looked away from the girl's sad eyes, cobalt orbs staring sadly at the dormant god arc in his hands, the golden gem on the hilt dim and washed out in contrary to one with an active wielder.

"...Kuroi," Licca recalled the name of the bright, cheery girl that had joined the second unit two months prior to now. "that was her name, right?"

Honestly, the mechanic knew she should've been ashamed for being unsure on the appellation of someone who'd died in the line of duty...but after working for a number of years with Fenrir one grew accustomed to the cold life it raked along. Licca had been saddened at first, taken by grief at the first time a god arc- one she herself had personally attended to, one who's wielder she'd befriended- had come back to her, carried by a nameless messenger who'd told her to put the bio-weapon back in the storage area. It was four years ago when she'd felt that bitter sting in her heart, a year after she'd started working with her father on the god arcs.

Now...now, there was nothing she could feel. Nothing but the vague feeling of condolence to the one who'd died and followed after so many to the next life, wishing and hoping they would find their joy in that one.

"Do you wanna hear the story?" Brendan asked, solemnly.

"Of course...I always do." It would be her way of honoring their deaths. Remembering their moments through their team, through their legacy, however small it was. "Come on. I've got some iced curry in the cooler."

"I still don't know why you like that drink so much." Brendan smiled, thinly. "It's supposed to be cold but when I drink it down, it feels like my taste buds are on fire."

Licca giggled, yet it could barely be called that. It wasn't a laugh...it was something that came automatically, like it was programmed instead of natural.

"Guess I have different tastes."

"I'll say."

Nothing else was said after that, the pair just walked in silence to the god arc storage facility, drumming to a steady pace. Brendan shouldered the god arc in his hands with something akin to a somber sorrow, as if saying 'I'm sorry' to a cold carcass of a person undeserving of their fate, and Licca looked at her feet with a grudging trudge through the dark halls of the Den's facilities. It was clear both of them had gone through the same thing more than once.

It was torture.

For both of them.

And for everyone else.

It didn't matter. If you stuck to them long enough, soldiers would always become nothing more than grim faced beings, living with the faces of the fallen forever engraved in them. No matter how old, no matter how dense their wall was- it would be the same. Happiness was a foreign concept to anyone who'd watched the light fizzle out in a friend's eyes, a ghost of an emotion that was in front of them, and yet so far out of reach. A bitter crave that would rouse when they would see the faces of their comrades- faces of men, women and children that had accepted the life of a gods eater-burn away to the crackling flames of a cremation.

Licca hated it, hated the fact that human adolescents were so adaptable while making the transition to adulthood, increasing their chances of becoming nothing more than glorified decoys for Fenrir. All those young faces smiling at her, boasting how they would make everyone acknowledge their strength; how they would become a hero.

In a way, they did become heroes.

Normal people...normal gods eaters were always gonna come home to this place, alive and yet, miserable and hollow...but heroes would never come back with a heartbeat, maybe not even a body to burn.

She watched those beautiful faces, those young hopeful eyes glimmer in hope, blaze with determination and sparkle with excitement, and cursed at their beauty.

Because those faces would remain young. All of them would remain as grandeur, perfect and eternal in beauty. None of them would wither. None of them would fade.

Not until the fire came to wash at their remains.

"How did she die?"

"With a smile."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

It was a lie.

No one died with a smile.

No one died thinking they were satisfied with their life.

No one died with content that their death had changed the world, that they made a difference, that their family would be happy now.

All of them died, wailing like children.

Pleading for their mothers to save them.

Hoping for their fathers to protect them.

Asking for their allies to aid them.

Yearning for their lovers to see them.

People didn't die with a smile...they died with a cry for help that would forever go unheard.

"She was laughing, you know." Brendan chuckled, grimly. "She said her family would probably try to bring her back to life just to throttle her for being stupid enough to die."

Licca held back a sob with a chuckle.

"How her two older brothers would come and twist her cheeks..."

Licca held back a cry with a smile.

"How her little sister would kick her shin with a little pout..."

Licca held back a tear with a laugh.

"How her mother and father would scold her for hours, without end..."

Licca held back a weep with a chortle.

It would always be all about that.

Holding everything back, concealing the shadows of her life under a thin veil of... whatever it was she held up...then wait for the right time to cry and beg for forgiveness to sins she hadn't committed.

It was how everyone here coped. Why should she be any different?

* * *

><p>It was so lonely...<p>

A tv screen flashed in activation from its dormancy, the dark static clearing up and revealing the usual program at the time, her favorite show, bugarally. Nozomi leaned forward, swinging her legs and skidding the bare of her heels on the ground as she watched a rerun of one of her favorite episodes...

Yet...

It didn't seem...right.

It wasn't as enjoyable watching by yourself. Companionship made things like this a lot more ...

Only she was missing her companion.

A small sigh escaped her lips, Nozomi turning her head to look at her right. She could hear her mother humming a small tune in the kitchen, the light sound of running water indicating the use of the sink. Looking away from the corridor, the young Fujiki directed her attention to her left, a chill of uneasiness crawling up her spine when her eyes landed directly on the vacant seat next to her.

Her brother's seat.

She had so many memories derived from the fiction in front of her...even more in the rest of their little apartment.

Kota and her cheering loudly on the first airing of Bugarally...

Falling asleep right next to her older sibling when they stayed up so late, their mother grounded them both for a month when she found out...

Her friends coming over and staying right here, in the very room she occupied for a sleepover...

Now...now, Nozomi noted, she and her mother might not be able to stay in their home...not if something happened to Kota. Her sweet, gentle, and caring dunce of a brother, always a bit thick headed but always retaining the cheer he'd always upheld. In some ways, it was because of that cheer that they were able to live. Sad as it was to say, her mother wasn't the cornerstone of the house. Kota had done a much better job of it when her husband had died and left her a broken mess.

How long has it been since that incident? Six years? Seven? Eight? She didn't remember. He'd died when she was still in diapers. Occasionally, Kota would tell her about him. How he was a soldier. How he'd died fighting against the aragami. He even showed her a copy of his will. Yet they didn't talk about that in front of their mother, as if it was an embarrassing rash that should be avoided. She was still quite...protective of them when word of her husband's death had come in the form of a black clad pair of messengers. It had taken a lot of inner turmoil before she gave Kota her blessing to become a gods eater after another pair of messengers had come, this time, sporting a white coat.

Whatever they wore, Nozomi hated them.

Black meant someone died. White meant someone would be taken away.

She'd seen one of those coats on their doorstep, and the teen could only hope she wouldn't see the other one.

"Nozomi," Her mother called out, emerging from the kitchen and wiping her hands on the apron that covered her front, "Are you alright? Gin and Sasame should be outside at this time. Usually, you'd be playing with them."

Nozomi smiled, shakily, "I'm fine, mom. Gin and Sasame will be fine." Her two friends were dimwits who argued more than they actually conversed with civility but they were still that- friends.

"Are you sad?"

"Hm?" Nozomi asked, tilting her head to the side and her legs ceased kicking.

"Are you sad that Kota's not here?" Her mother took a seat next to her.

"Well..." Nozomi scratched her chin. "I guess I am. Bro's...always been her since I was little. It's kinda weird not having him around the house."

A silence permeated the room after her sentence. Nozomi looked around the apartment. Everything was so much more quiet without her brother's usual antics. So quiet and so...wrong.

"But I'm fine with it!" She proclaimed with a wide grin to her mother. "I know he's out there, fighting for us! So it's fine. I know this is what he wants. Even if its dangerous...bro is always like that, and that's why he's my big brother."

It was sad, in a way.

A girl, of not even a decade of age, had such a mature answer.

Honestly...the mother of the house would've rather taken the tears than see the smile. Because she knew that smile- her little Nozomi's smile- was not always going to be on the corners of her mouth. It was only a matter of time...before her little daughter had to go through her own tragedy, something that usually ended with someone close to her, dead and bleeding, whether it be her, Kota or someone just as precious.

Because it was a rule of the world and no one was exempt-

**Get hurt or get killed.**

* * *

><p>"Alright, you're g-good to go." Kanon chirped, removing the bandages covering his arm with a little more finality, freeing the limb with an easy smile on her face as Wolf nodded in thanks. "You were lucky, you know. Almost no one has an aragami infection so easily cancelled in the early stages."<p>

Wolf nodded slowly, as if he wasn't sure how to respond. Given his lack of socialization to the norm, Kanon wouldn't be surprised if he really didn't.

"P-please be more careful." She stuttered slightly, stepping back and allowing him to rise from the chair.

"...thanks."

"I thought I told you to stop thanking me..." Kanon mumbled.

"Sorry." Wolf apologized, placing his arms back into the sleeves of his jacket.

"You apologize a lot, don't you?"

"Sorr-"

"Ah-ah-ah!" She interrupted, holding up her hands and abruptly halting his words. "No more apologies...and no more thank yous."

Wolf nodded, face still schooled. Kanon turned away, her usual smile now back on her lips as she organized and disposed of the used bandages on the cart beside her, though if one payed close attention, their was a microscopic twitch in her brow. She was a good with her and everyone else's emotions and that was why she prided herself with being able to, in a way, 'read' people's basic thoughts, and with Wolf's uncanny ability to show detachment to everything around him and get under the skin of the most patient of saints, Kanon had been a bit frustrated at his bland expressions.

Puffing her cheeks, childishly at his show, or should I say, lack thereof emotion, the pinkette made a face with her back turned to Wolf. Said blonde looked questioning when he heard her bang a rollof bandages harshly on the table.

"Are you alright?"

"Yup." kanon turned back, cheery smile right on her face.

And came face to face with Wolf's impassive stare, coming short a pair of inches from her own.

"You're a bit red..."

"Guh...uh..." She quivered slightly at the close proximity, her hands shaking over her chest. "Y-your face is...um...

"Are you sick? Did I give you something?" He asked, even toned.

He looked at his gloved palm, shrugged and brushed her bangs away.

Kanon felt her face grow hotter, the blonde, ignorant of her dilemma, placing his forehead on hers. It was most likely a way to check on temperature...but Kanon panicked and gave him a headbutt as soon as her skin touched his.

"Ow..." He muttered, rubbing his forehead with a particular emotion; pain.

"Hey..."

"What?" Wolf bit out. "You gonna give me another headbutt?"

"N-no!" She waved her hands frantically, then started twiddling with her fingers, nervously. "I-I wanted to thank you for...for that talk earlier."

Wolf stopped massaging his aching forehead, turning and looking directly at the girl who'd developed an interest with the floor at the moment.

"It...was really something I wanted to say for a while...and...I guess I just told everything to you." She looked up, smiling bashfully at him.

"...No problem." He said. "Just...don't give me any headbutts."

Kanon giggled at his lame remark. "I'll take note of it.

A side of Wolf's lips kicked up into a smirk, the blonde bringing up a head and patting the girl's head as if she was a child. "You've got a hard head."

Kanon pouted.

"I'm not a pet..."

Wolf smirked and got right in her face, the pinkette feeling the ruby red blush come right back to her cheeks. "You're a bit too cute to be a pet."

...

"Did you just flirt with me?"

Wolf just kept on smirking.


	4. It's Not What You--

**Alright, rewrite of chapter 4 is under way.**

**Do tell what you think of it...do tell...**

* * *

><p>Kota was hyper as usual, the redhead leading the way to the cafeteria as Wolf followed him without a sound, silent as per norm. Both of them traversed the hallway, weaving past the corridors (and getting lost once or twice) to make it to the lift. Having recently finished Dr. Sakaki's aragami lecture, they had decided to grab lunch together; 'they' being Kota. Cheery, loud, and hardheaded, yet the old-type rookie was still hard to hate with that personality. A small part of Wolf envied that from the redhead.<p>

"So, I just slotted this badass bullet and BAM!" Kota said, gesturing wildly with his hands, "the hologram never stood a chance. But, I still have a hard time with academics. Man, I thought Fenrir was all shooting. 'Didn't know we were still gonna have lectures. I got all this stuff about military clockwork, and dozens of codes, not to mention tons of homework. School is persistent. Hey, maybe you can help me with my assignments?"

Wolf gave him a pointed look and shook his head. Nice as Kota was, if the blonde agreed to do so, he'd probably be the one to do all the work while the intended student fell asleep. Kota deflated at that, but his grin was back on in a second.

"Ah, right. Kinda useless for you to do help with my homework. You're a new-type, after all."

And though that was not the reason he disagreed, Wolf just nodded in confirmation.

"Oh, yeah! When's your first mission?" Kota asked, stepping into the lift when they finally found it and punched in the appropriate floor number. "All of the old-type rookies are getting a mission sometime this week. I can't wait! I'll have so much to tell back home!"

The blonde stopped in his tracks.

Kota looked curiously at him, wondering why he ceased his pace so suddenly, and was taken aback by the dark look that had crossed into his usual apathy. the old-type asked, "Something wrong?"

Meanwhile, Wolf was very much in a bypass of thoughts, weighing every single detail in hand to see

A mission so early? It was barely two weeks since he and Kota were recruited. Wolf doubted they got the proper training to survive going up against those monsters prancing around the place, and treating nuclear warheads like a big breakfast buffet. Something like this wasn't very ethical, and was more likely just a way to weed out the ones without any possibility of meeting the...requirements. It was nothing more than Fenrir's way of making budget cuts. Even so...

His lips tightened into a thin line, and his hands turned into clenching fists; whatever respect Fenrir had squeezed out of him was tossed straight out the window.

"Kota."

"Hm?"

"...Can you call in sick that day?"

"What?" Kota gave him a perturbed look, and Wolf seemed to contemplate what to say.

If he told his suspicions to Kota, he very well doubted the redhead would just comply. No, instead, he'd probably get a laugh and a compliment of, "So, you do have a sense of humor!"

Conspiracy theories were very hard to tell if one had any merit to it. But, Kota wouldn't be dissuaded by his word...okay, maybe he would. Sometimes, the redhead was too trusting of people, especially authority figure heads. Wolf wasn't and that was the only reason he had any doubts in the first place. Either all of the recruits had former training like he did, or they were being used as nothing more than cannon fodder for the operation.

"...What aragami are you hunting?"

"Huh? Well, they didn't give us the details yet..."

Great. No details. Worst case scenario, they were gonna be used as a distraction while some other team sneaks in and steals a piece of shit item the lab coats needed.

Some may think Wolf was just being suspicious...and overly paranoid, and while, Wolf was indeed a paranoid son of a gun, the thoughts of making green rookies fight the incarnations of destruction would be more than enough to force someone else to think as such. What did that anime say? Look underneath the underneath, or something like that, and he was dubious on the sight of kids not older than himself.

So, yes; he was suspicious. But, reason dictates why that must be.

"Just...do me a favor, alright?" Wolf asked, forcing a smile. "Pass this up. I'm sure you can make an excuse. Get detention if you have to."

"...Huh?"

"Kota," His eyes hardened. "I want you to pass up this mission. If you want me to beg, I'll do it."

"N-no...just...why?" Kota was understandably confused.

Wolf stood silent, but the frown that formed over his usual apathy was disconcerting to Kota, and allowed time to weigh on his reply, "...I'll tell you, someday."

"Someday?" Kota asked incredulously, "I'll need it a little sooner than 'someday', Wolf."

"...I'll buy that new Bugarally season for you."

Kota looked pained, and seemed to contemplate this, but soon enough, he still shook his head.

"HD."

And stopped his head's motion, then bobbed his head in a nod, with a grimace.

"Alright, thanks." Wolf said.

Kota sighed. "Why did I tell you so much about me?"

"I'm sorry. I'll give you an explanation when it's time."

The redhead nodded, but it was in a manner that displayed he didn't think Wolf would ever be so forthcoming with the information.

"Man, Wolf. I thought you'd be a little more open. We're friends right?"

_Friends..._

Wolf's frown deepened, and the blonde looked down to his feet. He didn't want to keep secrets with anyone. But, it wasn't like Kota was just gonna take the word of a blonde stranger over the glamorized teachings of Fenrir. Even so, Kota was someone he'd been able to actually follow. Someone that didn't just take a look at him and think he was some whiny, scowling, emo stereotype. (Because he was most certaintly not a whiny emo stereotype, even with all the black.) But, a part of him did admit he wasn't at all social. Would it really hurt to talk a bit more about his oh-so dark past? Kota had told him about the loss of his father with a cheer, and a lame joke here and there. Wolf could never have that much constitution; to be able to look back in life and laugh at the horrible times.

In some ways, Kota was much stronger than him.

...Well, he may as well try, even if he was late.

"I'm afraid of heights."

"What?"

"...I'm afraid of heights...well, until I got injected by the bias factor and found out gods eater can jump out fifty floor plus buildings without a scratch." Wolf acknowledged, shrugging his shoulder though his face turned a tinge red. "I hate spicy food. I have a sister I'm told I'm overprotective of. I like anime just as much as you do. My birthday is December twenty five, right on christmas. I cook as a hobby. I cannot, for the love of me, brush my hair. I have contact with an underground mafia-esque group. I got former training on swordsmanship from this sadist of an old guy. I've never eaten ice cream in my life (Kota gasped in horror at this)I think Kanon's cute, and I watched my parents die in a fiery inferno when I was five."

A moment of silence passed by them, the only sound being the whir of the lift's mechanics and the low, steady humming of the fluorescent lights. Kota's face was a mix of shock, amusement, and horror.

"...You think Kanon's cute?" Kota asked, "I mean, I guess she is. You like moe girls?"

"...that was what you got from all that?" Wolf scowled at Kota, irritably.

Kota was saved when the lift doors finally opened, and the redhead tossed himself out to run away from answering. Wolf sighed, and made a mental note not to do that again.

Jeez, tell people your life story and the horrible past that comes with it and they'll still pick your deep, dark secret attraction as the number one topic.

_A week passed after that, and Kota had kept his word. A small, elaborate prank on the instructor had gotten him a good detention and a letter of exclusion from the mission, which happened the day after. All the rookies laughed at him, and I was sure he practically humiliated himself for my sake. In the end, the whole class but him went on a mission. I passed by them, and they were all laughing, cheery and heaving god arcs around the gate, without any care in the world.  
><em>

_Only four of them came back from the original thirty six that were deployed._

**XxXx**

_Happiness_...

_Don't you deserve it?_

_You've suffered so much...because of those monsters._

_Not even a god will help you. No one will aid you._

_Except for me._

_Come to my, arms, child.  
><em>

_I will protect you._

_I will always love you._

_I will never abandon you._

_I will stay by your side._

_I will be your mother._

_**Nii-chan...**_

Wolf awakened.

Blue eyes snapped open to the dusk, dilating at the sight of the weary, yellow sun that fell into the horizon of buildings. Wind tickled at his neck, and blew in his ears a distinct melody that had been his lullaby thereafter; like a mother's sweet tune. His eye's iris glowed golden for a moment, a familiar mark of a gods eater and proof of the oracle cells that flowed in his body, along with the bias factor that he'd gotten a recent dose of. Everything was still silent. No beastly bellows from the aragami. No humans breathing, apart from him. He was isolated. Still alone, and the solitude was an old friend.

_CLANG_

Sadly, it was a brief reunion before disturbance came along.

"Ow..." A pained moan eased his alerted senses. If it could speak, it was likely human, and wouldn't try to make a 'Wolf-sandwich' anytime soon.

He turned his head to the side and behind him, past the square tombstone he had been casually sleeping on, and was alerted to the sight of a downed Kanon, rubbing her little pink head while a piece of deformed metal rattled on the floor, apparently having knocked straight into her cranium from above.

"Stupid roof..." She muttered angrily, still rubbing the forming bruise on her head.

"What are you doing here?"

Kanon let out an indignant squeak that sounded like a startled cat, and Wolf raised an eyebrow at her response.

"I-I saw you leaving the Den without your god arc...and I got worried." Kanon admitted, bowing her head in apology for invading his privacy. "So, I followed you and..."

Wolf, for his part, was silently impressed the girl had followed him without his notice. But, then again, he'd done this little escapade so many times, he'd gotten too easy with the process and wasn't near high-strung enough to warrant his usual attentiveness. Nevertheless, the pinkette had decent stealth; a skill that was probably drilled into a person if you stayed in the gods eaters long enough.

"...thanks, I guess." Wolf said.

"Huh?"

" I said, thanks." He shrugged, the blonde leaning back into the stone that stuck out like a sore thumb in the room; with its clean, smooth carvings contrasting drastically with the ruins of an high, empty floor of a partially destroyed building. "Not many people think to worry about my sake...so, thanks."

"Uh...you're welcome?" Kanon tilted her head to the side in confusion.

A tense- at least it was tense for Kanon- silence wrapped around them, shadowing the destroyed remnants of human civilization, disturbed only by the silent whisper of the wind. No birds sang in the midst of this ruined world, no children laughed in a place as abandoned as the City of Mercy, and the aragami had moved on from this place, driven out but, like always, would soon return, in due time.

It was both peaceful, and awkward to the pinkette.

Yet Wolf remained as apathetic as ever, making no move to rise from his position on the room. He was more silent and more unattached than he ever was, just looking out at the dim purple sky and the receding sunset.

"..." Kanon opened her mouth to say something, thought twice of it, then promptly shut it. She had no idea how to approach the blonde.

"...You can take a seat, y'know." Wolf informed, with no less- or rather no more emotion than usual. It wasn't cold...yet neither was it warm. It was neutral at its most definitive description. Like a machine. "It's not like this place is that private."

Kanon eyed the tombstone he casually leaned on. "...Uh..."

"...My parents." He answered, without even turning to look at her; but Kanon detected nothing still.

"Oh...I'm...sorry."

"Mmm..." He made a thoughtful noise, as if contemplating a mystery. "Don't be. It's been years. Got over it a long time ago."

Kanon moved closer to him, and sat next to him, pulling her legs to her chest and laying her god arc next to her. Wolf didn't move to look at her.

"...It sounds wrong."

"Hm?" And this time, he did look at her.

"You...got over it. I don't think kids my age should get over something like losing parents just like that." She looked at the sunset Wolf was so firmly gazing at. "We're human, right? Does reality have to be so cruel?"

"It can be argued."

"Why?" She asked, looking at him with a curious expression.

"Reality..." Wolf replied, looking her straight into her eyes. She looked taken aback by the golden hue that shined much brighter than the normal. "Reality is a term that is observed separately by the people." He turned back to the sunset, parts of his bangs falling and hiding his eyes.

"What we call reality is our acceptance of facts, and the rejection of others. Like when someone close to you dies...the first thing that pops into mind is that they won't; that everything will work out. When it doesn't, you run away from that, and you try to bury it somewhere. In the end, we reject so many things...that reality is shifted to form a twisted world to accommodate what we wish. Maybe that was why so many people went insane after the aragami first appeared; because they couldn't accept that humans were becoming insignificant."

"...that's not right." Kanon looked down.

"It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong." Wolf shrugged. "If the world says it happens, it's gonna happen."

"...So, is that why you sound so detached?"

"In a way."

"What does that mean?"

A chuckle rose from his throat. "Maybe," He turned his head, and smiled softly at her. "I'll tell you some day."

**XxXx**

"A mission?"

Lindow nodded, ignoring the incredulous look Sakuya directed at him.

"A new-type going on a mission so soon?" She frowned. "...I thought Fenrir would put more value on him than..." She trailed off, not daring to step into a subject they both refrained from mentioning.

"Well, this one's an exception." Lindow cracked open a beer. "Would you believe he's already finished his basics?"

"In less than a month?" Sakuya quirked an eyebrow, her own can of beer untouched on the table. "I find that hard to believe."

Between the varying classes- Organization protocol, the god arc system, standard strategy, and a multitude of others- she very much doubted the rookie could go through something so fast. Lindow and she had taken a good two months before they were even allowed outside to combat an ogretail; granted it was solo. Still, a rookie going at half the time was nothing short of a suicide mission.

"Well, ole' Director Johannes saw his progress and deemed him fit." Lindow drawled, sipping casually on the cold beer in his hands. "And, for once, I agree with him."

"Huh?"

"Wolf Arashi. Ever heard of him?"

"No, can't say I have."

Lindow frowned, and that was more than enough to cause a small pit of worry to build in the sniper's stomach. It was never good when the commander frowned. Ever. Whenever he frowned, trouble would follow and shit would meet fan. It was an unique omen that she'd started to work on discerning. So far, it was never wrong. She trusted Lindow, as they'd been together for as long as she could remember. If he says 'this kid is suspicious', the medic would be keeping a very close eye on him, new-type or not.

"Well," Lindow said, completely serious, "the guy isn't your average hormone infused teen."

"And what exactly does that mean?"

"...I've only heard tid-bits and rumors," Lindow tapped his finger on the leather couch he was occupying. "But, from what I've got, this Wolf has been included in some...shady deals."

"Shady deals?" Sakuya asked. "Is this a joke? It sounds way too much like a half-baked movie."

"My contacts are reliable." Lindow defended.

"...Sure." Sakuya smiled in amusement. "Anyway, the rumor?"

"Right, right." Lindow absentmindedly threw the now-empty can in his hand, the aluminum hitting the plastic trash can in the corner and disappearing inside of it. "Wolf Arashi. I took a look at his bio, and guess what I found?"

"His natural hair color."

"Har har." Lindow laughed, sardonically. "He's not from anywhere here. Nowhere near the Den, and the other Fenrir outposts."

"So?"

"It means he's someone who didn't have any contact with Fenrir, or if he did, the top brass covered it up." Lindow's frown deepened. "His earliest record here, is around eleven or twelve years ago, when he came through the front door with this girl, presumably his sister, on his back and practically barged in."

"Big balls for a six year old."

"No kidding." Lindow scoffed. "Before that, no records. Other things were he was formally taken in by someone called Eden Locke."

"Eden Locke?" Sakuya sounded surprised, and Lindow was the one to quirk an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you know him?"

"No, not personally. Locke was a soldier or a mercenary. I only know the guy because I stumbled on the medical records, and I think it was dated years ago. Way before we were even using a god arc."

Lindow contemplated this new information, silently. A soldier taking in an anomaly. Definitely reeks of suspicion.

"So, you think they're connected to Fenrir?" Sakuya asked.

"No idea." Lindow shrugged. "Arashi was involved in some things as well, but there's been no proof, and only murmurs that Fenrir has no guarantee on. As for his life, from some stuff I've gathered, he was a bartender for the past few years; working for some chick called Yuka. Ever heard of her?"

Sakua shook her head.

"See? We practically have nothing on this guy, as opposed to the usual crap Fenrir gathers. No past, no birthplace and not even any relatives, other than this girl, Saya." He was high-strung. So much so, that Sakuya was quite surprised he was so uncharacteristically suspicious of a rookie. Lindow was the least likely to her to make up conspiracy theories, and the man was always giving people the benefit of the doubt. Being so careful around a newbie was a bit of a shock to someone who'd known him so long.

"I see what you mean, but no need to get so antsy."

"Sorry, sorry." Lindow chuckled. "Just...something big is happening, and it's really putting me on a lot of stress."

"Oh?" Sakuya quirked an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

Lindow smirked. "Secret. It's got something to do with the Aegis project and that's all you're wringing from me, woman."

Sakuya sighed, and Lindow popped open another beer.

**XxXxX**

Wolf was antsy.

He didn't show it though.

But he was still antsy.

A sigh escaped his lips and he stared at Hibari with a look, as if saying 'What-the-hell?'. Hibari looked pitying, and gave him a gesture to stay where he was, to which the new-type painstakingly complied. It was hard not to just give up, and ditch, but the threat of his supervisor's 'You're in big-trouble and I'm gonna put you through hell' face was enough to keep his black clad feet from walking off.

Wolf was still very antsy.

"Where the hell is this guy?"

You couldn't blame him though. It was an hour past the appointed meeting time with his so-called leader, and something like this was perfect for setting the ever-so punctual blonde on edge, and sometimes, straight over said edge. He'd learned the hard way that if you were late, a certain someone got pissed and may or may not fire .22 caliber rifle shells at your face.

He winced at a memory and cradled his side. A shudder was forced down, but just barely.

"Oh, Lindow." Hibari's address to someone got him to look, and his eyes landed on a brown coated man, talking with Hibari. "Director Johannes said to tell you come see him if I saw you."

"Okay." He replied easily...then turned and walked to Wolf's direction. "Don't tell him you saw me."

Wolf couldn't help but smirk.

_City of Mercy, 5:34 PM, Rendezvous Pointimp_

"You okay?" His leader's calm, and amused tone reached his ears, hampered as it was by the rapid whir of the helicopter, as they hovered around the large, and very much destroyed city. Its sunset glazed over the world, and Wolf was having a hard time not falling asleep, despite the roar of machinery. A church in the middle of the ruins was very much visible from where he stood, and the blonde could vaguely make out shadows of beasts in some distances.

Aragami.

"Well, get up! You can't fight when you're asleep." His leader ordered, already hefting his large, red chainsword like god arc on his shoulder.

"Listen up, rookie!" Lindow shouted over the noise around them. "I want you to jump! Can you do that?"

Wolf looked over the edge of the helicopter.

...

He grabbed a plastic bottle from somewhere under the seats, and tossed it out.

...

...

...

...

_Ding_

It crashed into the ground after the long wait, and cracked into two pieces at impact on the gravel. Wolf winced and turned to Lindow, trying not to look like he was about to vomit the contents of his stomach.

"Yeah, sure." What's a broken exoskeleton or two? Psh, health hazard? Ha! When this is done, he probably won't even have any health to his name.

"Great! You first!"

He prayed to whatever deity existed out there that Lindow didn't have a twisted enough sense of humor as to trick him into jumping straight over the metaphorical bridge...or in this case, the literal hovering helicopter, and into the waiting jaws of a painful-as-hell kiss with the dirt.

He hated heights...so fucking much.

However, not one to look like a coward, Wolf complied and launched himself out. His god arc was held firmly in his hand, and his gut twisted in a number of uncomfortable ways. Wolf had never taken a ride inside of a roller coaster, but he would bet it was very much like his current free fall. He blinked rapidly as his eyes started to dry, and the blonde had to narrow his sight as to not feel the annoying prickle in his sclera. Wind rushed past his scalp, and his black coat fluttered, snapping and folding in his descent, the ground seemingly increasing in size, and he passed by the tallest building's top floor. He was vaguely aware of Lindow's own brown trench coat somewhere in his peripheral vision but paid not much attention to it. He was having a hard time keeping up the apathetic look on his face when he felt a very good urge to hyperventilate, no need to look at rapidly falling commanders.

"Weee." He said, sarcastically.

Asphalt was getting dangerously close...

He really hoped this wouldn't hurt too much.

His feet lashed out, leading the descent in place of his nosedive. Wolf's god arc was placed on his shoulder, and the blonde landed with a loud crack, as the area of where he impacted fissured into a meter wide spiderweb like shape, even when the blonde had bent his knees to absorb the impact. His god arc dug uncomfortably into his shoulder bones, but it was just a dull throb. Lindow landed a few meters away, yet his descent was controlled and left nothing more than a soft 'thud' of his rubber soles touching the earth's crust.

"Wow...rookie, you gotta work on landing." Lindow did a low whistle when he saw Wolf's landing.

"Sorry." Wolf a half-minded apology.

It was dusk. Wolf liked twilight. It wasn't so bright, that it made him want to shut off the sun, and it wasn't so dark he would be high strung at the shadows. It was only at dusk and dawn that he didn't felt as if something of catastrophic proportions would be right around the corner, and he could at least feel a bit of ease. It was nice not to have to worry about aragami, life, money and whether or not he should trust this guy or that. Sadly, twilight lasted at the very most an couple of hours in each day.

Even then, relaxation wasn't the reason he was here. Not like the last time he'd visited his parents.

"Boy, this place has seen better days, huh?' Lindow's question barely registered, but he was able to give the slightest nod.

"Right, back to business." Wolf turned to his leader, and Lindow put on the most serious face he could. "We've got an ogretail running around, here, so as your first mission, you're tasked to eliminate it." Short and simple, eh? "Shouldn't be much of a problem. Even for a greenhorn."

"Aye." Wolf gave a mock salute.

"Hmph." Lindow smirked. "Right, three orders you gotta remember." Grinning slightly in amusement, the commander held up one finger. "Don't die." He held up a second digit. "If your number's up, get out." And finally a third one. "Lastly, hide."

Wolf nodded in confirmation and turned, thinking it was over.

"If you're lucky, catch the enemy off guard and blast it." Lindow continued.

...

"Four."

"Hm?"

"I think that's four orders." Wolf deadpanned.

"Oh." Lindow gave a sheepish grin, and scratched the back of his head. "Bottom line is, you gotta survive. Just follow those orders, and everything else will be fine."

Wolf made a low grunt, and his commander took it as an affirmative. "Alright, let's get this show on the road." Lindow grinned, and jumped off the ledge.

"Five orders." Wolf sighed, and jumped down to join his leader.

**XxXxX**

How hard was it to locate a raptor-like, matter devouring beast?

_ROAAAAAR_

Not at all.

Wolf avoided the spikes lined to his head, the deadly needles flying past mere inches from his cheeks and embedding themselves deep into the wall behind him. Holding the flat end of his god arc as a make shift shield, the blonde pivoted in his roll and charged forward. His god arc impacted with a dull 'thunk' of metal on meat once he blundered the ogretail like a battering ram, sending it back disoriented while he himself nursed the numbness now spreading across his arms. But he didn't relent. While the beast was down, the new-type pressed on, heaving the large blade behind him and swiping it across to give the aragami a noticeable horizontal wound. One of its teeth flew off, cut cleanly from his swing, and was buried into the dirt in an upright position before disappearing in a puddle of gelatinous ichor.

Wolf back flipped, his lean build making the action seem almost easy, and avoided the spiked tail that dashed where he once stood. Successfully avoiding the attack, the blonde skidded back, as his back met the wall.

"Hurry up, rookie." Lindow's impatient voice ordered from somewhere to his far left, and he duly ignored it in favor of the enraged white aragami charging at him.

He jumped up, using the ogretail's face as a springboard and leaped, the force of his jump sending the beast into the ground, and skidding forward from its impressive momentum, only to be halted by the rock solid wall. Meanwhile, Wolf was still in the air, his god arc morphing. Grabbing the gun's handle, Wolf twisted his body in an uncomfortable maneuver and aimed. He gave a low grunt and pressed the button on the firing mechanism, allowing a torrent of fire to rain down on the fallen ogretail.

In the end, there wasn't much left but a charred corpse.

Wolf landed softly on the ground, god arc still held ready in case the aragami would get up. His eyes were glued unto the beast, looking for any sign of movement or any indication of life. He held his breath for a moment.

It twitched, and Wolf kept on shooting.

"Die." He said, as if he was greeting a person with little to no enthusiasm, and his bullets kept on peppering the very much fried ogretail.

"Woah, woah!" Lindow called, stopping him as his oracle levels ran dry. "I think that's enough rookie. It's dead. Like...'fried-to-the-very-depths-of-hell' dead."

Seriously, does this guy know the definition of restraint?

"Now...all you gotta do is-"

_Chomp_

"I...see you already know the procedure..." Lindow watched him as the beginner's god arc nibbled happily on the fresh, and well-done corpse of an aragami.

Wolf still looked like he was half-asleep, and he also pretended not to hear Lindow's murmurs of 'rookie's gonna be the death of me'.

"Is that all?" Wolf asked, holding his god arc up and watching the yellow gem on its hilt glow with a pale yellow light.

Lindow affirmed. "Pretty much. Just an ogretail."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"..." Wolf frowned.

"Something wrong?"

"...Behind you."

Lindow brought up his blade in a wide arc, and swapped away the strangely quiet Zygote. It was repelled by the sheer force, and it smashed into the a rickety building. So rickety in fact, that the aragami's tumble was more than enough to literally bring the roof down, right on its head.

"Wha?" Lindow recoiled at the sight of half a dozen ogretails, very much accompanied by the non too friendly looking trio of zygotes, not counting the one he used as a baseball. "...Well, shit."

One ogretail, huh?

Lindow felt a great urge to punch the scouting team that gave the little mistake as credible information. A pack wasn't too bad, but it was still bad. Not to mention the rookie, even as good a newbie Wolf was, was still just a rookie. He doubted the blonde could hold up in the oncoming assault. Outnumbered was always a bad thing, even for a veteran like him. Lindow grit his teeth in aggravation, mashing the cigarette between his jaw and spitting it out.

Beside him, Wolf readied his god arc, holding it out in a stance in front of him instead of tucking it in, close to his body like the other gods eaters. His style of fighting was strange. Definitely something Lindow had never seen before, but whatever works against these things, the commander was okay with.

Still, a pack of them, coupled with those Zygotes...this wasn't good.

"I take this wasn't part of the mission?"

"Bit of a risk people take. Most info isn't that fresh when recieved, and sometimes the target gets joined by a few of its friends."

"Fantastic. Fucking perfect, boss."

"Ah, shut it and get to hacking."

One dash to the front, and he sidestepped to narrowly avoid the snapping maw of one of the little fuckers. He quickly rectified its existence, and dragged his god arc up, decapitating it quickly and allowing it to drop lifelessly to the ground. Somewhere in the corner of his eyes, he saw Wolf using a fallen Zygote as a springboard to bisect another in the air. An ogretail circled him, waiting for an oppurtunity, but Wolf was very much prepared when it lunged, and the beast impacted, nose first on the blonde's shield with a dull echo.

Something told the commander that his little charge would be fine.

Getting back into his own battles, the raven haired gods eater leaped back to avoid an ogretail that came onto him like a missile, using its tail as a springboard and crashing where he formerly stood. Lindow dashed in before it could recover and hacked at its face, giving it a sizable scar that ran across its left eyes and ended beneath its jaw. Before he could finish the job, the younger Amamiya forced himself to dodge to the side, avoiding the spiked needles that flew with deadly aim. Rolling once, the commander got up running, and jumped, flying slowly over an unexpecting ogretail and, with a glimmer in his eye, brought his blade to to cleave it in two. It fell into equal pieces first, followed by his landing shortly. Lindow was thankful the momentum had carried him away from the corpse. He'd rather not have to put his clothes on a dry cleaning list again. Not so soon, anyway.

"Keep up, rookie. I've got two down!"

"So do I!" Wolf shouted back, beating back an ogretail. He jabbed his thumb to the pile of a Zygote and an ogretail now very much charred, thanks to his fire addiction. "And I've got the bigger slice of the cake!" He referred to the larger quantity of the uneven aragami that had attacked them.

"No fair!" Lindow whined, jokingly.

Usually, the rookie would have to rely on the more experienced veteran to survive in a situation like this.

Wolf shot an ice mortar right into an ogretail's throat. It must have been painful, yet the beast wasn't able to roar or scream or even gurgle in pain. Whatever produced its ring was already frozen over.

Not Wolf...

And Lindow was even more suspicious of him for that.

**XxXxX**

"Ugh..." Wolf groaned, and heaved the contents of his stomach. Lindow leaned back, avoiding the bile easily, yet Wolf didn't care. He was too busy puking his guts out. His head was spinning, and his nose burned with a strange smell of sewer, and wet dogs. It was pure torture, considering his enhanced senses.

Lindow patted his back, reassuringly. "And that's what you get for letting your guard down. Poison from a Zygote isn't lethal for a gods eater, but its still pretty damn unpleasant."

"Shut...u-" He puked again before he could complete that sentence.

Lindow wrinkled his nose in disgust, but managed to keep from recoiling. "You done?"

Wolf made a few deep breaths, his face much paler than usual. A scowl was now replacing his usual emotionless persona, and Lindow couldn't help but grin tauntingly at that. Wolf didn't notice, or if he did, he paid no heed to it. His leader got up from the kneeling position, leaving him huddled in a corner while the man went to devouring the cores of the fallen aragami, since he himself was too sickly to do so. A putrid taste lingered in the back of his mouth, and his throat was dreadfull parched. He was desperate for anything that didn't taste like his stomach acid.

"I knew I should have bought those antidotes from that stingy old merchant." He cursed and got up, god arc held firmly in hand. Wolf forced his limbs to cooperate, and tried not to trip over his own feet. He failed spectacularly at that, when his legs buckled and he found himself getting intimate with the floor.

Wolf groaned.

The blonde forced himself up, and shook his head to snap himself from the daze, yet that was a bad move as that only prompted him to start spewing the last remnants of his stomach. He brought a hand up and wiped at his mouth, still quite sick with all the poison in his system. He would've tried to get up again, but Lindow stopped him before that could happen with a hand on his shoulder, and a shake of the head to make him stop exerting himself. Wolf frowned but complied.

Grabbing a radio from the vestiges of his coat, the commander flipped it on and spoke into it, "Hey...HQ? Anyone there?"

"Hm? Lindow, is that you?"

"Oh, hey Licca. Me and the rookie are in a bit of a bind..."

"What? Are both of you alright?"

"Well...not exactly." He looked at Wolf pointedly, and the blonde flipped him off. Lindow rolled his eyes but kept on speaking. "Little Wolfie got hit by a poison blast."

"Poison blast? I thought you were going after an ogretail."

"...A few...complications came up."

"I don't wanna know. Anyway, should I send a medi-vac?"

"Probably. But take your time. Rookie here got too confident. A little headache will be just the right punishment."

"Screw you." Wolf insulted, weakly.

"Right...I'll put word in. Sakuya's heading there, now. I'll try to get Soma on, as well, but don't hold your breath. He's been harder to find lately."

"No kidding. Alright, thanks for the help Licca."

"Roger."

Lindow grinned cheerily and pocketed the device back into his coat. "Hear that, rookie? Help's coming so, don't go anywhere near the light. It'll be a pain explaining what happened if you died. All the paperwork...ugh..." Lindow shivered.

"I...hate you...so much."

"Stop it, you're making me blush." Lindow ruffled his hair, and Wolf swatted his arm away, failing when he found he was too dizzy too care now.

He hated this job already.

**XxXxX**

He tried not to prickle.

He tried not to falter.

He tried not to sweat.

...

But damn if the girl in front of him couldn't make a scary face.

Kanon Daiba just gained a bit of respect from him, partially because a small side of him feared the expression he would further on call the 'tsun-tsun' face. But even with the urge to return her gaze, Wolf couldn't fully glare at her because of the poison impeding his consciousness's full capabilities, and right now his usual mask of apathy was quite firmly lodged in place; too firm for a scowl to replace the thin line his lips had become. He tried not to twitch uncomfortably under the very dark gaze the pinkette was shooting him, and instead was now trying to whistle a tune, and quite spectacularly failing. Not his fault his lungs were currently burning.

"You're seriously gonna die before the year is up." Kanon sighed, and then turned around to retrieve an antidote serum. She continued to speak whilst in the stock room, and only increased the decibel of her tone. "It was your first mission! How the hell did you get injured fighting an ogre tail?"

"It was a pack." Wolf said, exasperatedly. "And there were four Zygotes with them. Nothing about the mission report had anything to say about giant, flying eyes in the area.

"Excuses." Kanon harrumped, returning with a needle filled with a purple...something. It moved around its canister, and stained the whole thing a bluish red. Wolf grimaced at the sharp tip, "Maybe this will get the point across."

He sweatdropped at the lame pun from the medic, and sighed despairingly. A visible tic mark appeared on Kanon's forehead, and the girl gave into her impulses. A sharp stabbing pain in the blonde's neck suddenly alerted him, and he let out a yelp that was a pitch higher than what could be considered 'manly'. He refrained from grabbing Kanon and poking her eye out though, so that means the anger management classes he'd taken weren't a _complete_ waste of time.

He breathed deeply in as he tried to ease the dull, throb in his jugular, trying to just get it over with. After a few seconds of visualizing bunnies and kittens and shit, the new-type rubbed the spot gingerly, just as Kanon removed the needle and gave him a cotton ball drenched in disinfectant. He took it while muttering under his breath, much like a scolded child, and Kanon giggled at him.

"Well...don't come back too soon."

"I doubt I'll be able to keep that promise."

"Here's a tip, try." Kanon remarked, the sarcasm was almost tangible with how natural it sounded on her. "It'll happen a lot less if you don't have a death wish."

"Yes, mother."

Kanon scowled and pushed him down the bed, straddling him and grabbing his collar where she proceeded to slap him repeatedly. Wolf was surprised, and was unable to catch the first two, but the third was held in his palm and used to reverse the positions. Kanon suddenly felt the expanse of her cheeks stretch to painful levels, and she desperately tried to remove Wolf's fingers from pulling at her skin. He was suddenly very much cured, and a pulsing red animated tic mark beated on his forehead.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

It continued on from there. One of them would trap the other, have a few seconds to torture their partner in painful, yet comical manners, before being reversed. It was rinse, wash, repeat. It ranged from tickling (Wolf was surprisingly sensitive), to spankings (Kanon would never speak of that again...EVER), and soon enough, degraded into use of pillows.

You could call it a pillow fight, but a pillow **war** would be so much more accurate.

"Oof!" Wolf was brutally smacked in the face with a white fluffy bedding, and Kanon took that as an opportunity to once again straddle him, pinning his arms to the side. Wolf made a cross between a scowl and a frown, and Kanon grinned victoriously at her appointed win.

Until Wolf licked her in the face.

She 'eep'ed at the warm sensation the trailed up her cheek, and recoiled. Wolf got up with a cocky grin, and she glared at him with the fury that rivaled the intensity of the flames of hell. Suddenly, the blonde wasn't so sure if he should have done that. But too late to rectify it, he simply tied the metaphorical white blind on his eyes, grabbed a smoke, and waited for the oncoming train to rip apart, molecule by molecule.

In short, he curled up in a fetal position, and tried to hide his face. Still, there was a very plain smirk for all to see.

"I win." He mumbled, and Kanon pounced on him with an enraged roar, knocking them off the bed and into the floor where they proceeded to roll around in a heap.

He just hoped no one would walk in.

"Yo, new-type! Are...you...fine?" Lindow asked, then saw the situation and made a face that looked like a choking cat. He stared, dumbfounded at their position on the floor, and the two stared at the commander, both with visible tint of red. Wolf grimaced, and Kanon put on the most embarrassed face she possibly could. Blonde and pinkette looked at each other, as well as the close proximity of their faces before turning to the commander. "Well, I can see you're...perfectly healthy...and straight. Good job, I guess?"

"It's not what you think." Wolf tried to reason.

Lindow grinned a smile that would've made the cheshire cat break out in cold sweat. He winked at them, and Wolf's grimace was replaced by a scowl. Before he could do anything though, the first unit commando walked away.

...

Wolf turned to the pinkette on top of him, and tried not to think of the blood he could feel rushing up to his head. "Can you get off me?"

Suddenly, Sakuya came in, no doubt told by Lindow. She saw them, made a surprised face and very loudly screamed out,

**"NO SEX IN AN INFIRMARY!"**

Wolf groaned, and Kanon joined him in his displeasure at the misunderstanding.


	5. A Blade is Meant to Kill

_Burning..._

_Everything was burning in front of his eyes. His small, child-like demeanor unable to process anything as he watched his home...his life...fall apart._

_Why...?_

_All of this blood...was it his or from a loved one..._

_He didn't know._

_He didn't want to know._

_Another explosion and he was thrown back into a wall, his small frame sprawling along the ground and his eyes burning from the smoke._

_It was defeaning. How could one monster do this? His eyes filled with fear, with sadness as he found bodies of friends and family...it didn't matter...wherever he looked...everyone was dead._

_Was everyone gone?_

_Was he alone?_

_All his friends..._

_Everyone in his family..._

_Wait..._

_'Saya!' His five year old brain managed to place, a surge of adrenaline following it and he stood up from the ground. His legs ached with the sudden strain of his frail size, but he ignored it and obeyed the part of him that told him to run and look.  
><em>

_"Saya!" He would call out, again and again. Smoke filled his lungs and fires burned around him, scorching _the ear_th and pain_ting _the mos_t hellish pic_ture one could possibly imagine. I_t was no_thing shor_t of an inferno from hell, and _tha_t made _the blonde even more despera_te _to find _the one person he was convic_ted _to save. ____"Saya!" He called out desperately, once more.________________

_"Nii-chan..." A soft almost faint voice drew his attention. Wolf snapped his little head to the source so fast he feared his neck may have broken but he paid no attention to it when his eyes rested onto a small figure laying on the ground, with the most notable feature being her short, pink hair._

_"Saya..." He ran, admonishing no pain from the blaze that licked his skin or the smoke that burned his eyes. Such _things were _triviali_ties if___ only to save a loved one, possibly the only one left._

_"Nii-chan...where's dad...and mom?" He checked on his sister, finding nothing wrong with her._

_"It's alright, Saya. Both of them are...are fine." He lied, each word paining him, reminding him of his parents' demise, "Yeah...we'll...we'll see them again and we'll watch that show you like as well...Bugarally."_

_"You...promise?" Gazing into the young eyes of his sister, he had to all but fight back his own tears before he nodded._

_"...Saya, are you hurt? Do you feel any pain?" Whatever answer she might have said never got past her lips._

_Her eyes widened, fear gripping at her stomach, clenching on her being and taking away her voice. Her brother's eyes did nothing to keep her calm, as the flames parted and allowed her to see the one thing that would forever be engraved into her mind. She was afraid...and for a good reason._

_"Saya?" He asked, "Saya, what's wrong?" He shook her and his sister shakily raised a hand._

_"M-mons..."_

_His eyes widened in realization and he clutched Saya to his chest, turning around and coming face to face with the monster. __It's glowing-red eyes seemed to weigh them, if they were a threat or if they were food, he didn't know._

_But he stayed like that and so did the dragon, staring as one child covered the view of his sister, with a scowl so deep, it rivaled the very flames around them, as if daring it to try and harm her. Anger burned in his eyes, a fire starting in his gut and he glared with both hate and courage...courage he hadn't felt when this same beast that buried his parents alive in crimson flames, right in front of him. Suddenly, it roared fiercely to the skies,__ and the dragon turned away, its wings of fire burning anything even remotely close to it and Wolf watched as an inferno of fire cloaked it and hid it away, before i_t mel_ted in_to _the nigh_t _to leave _them cowering in _the remnan_ts of i_ts fires___.________

_"I won't let anything happen to you, Saya. Alright?"_

_His sister hugged him tightly, tears falling from her face and mixing with rain, the falling needles of the sky starting to pour and wash away the scorching flames. Wolf clutched his sister close to him, his own tears unable to stop. His hands hurt with previous burns but he would take the pain just to hold his sister close. _

_This was it...this was his family..._

_All that's left of it._

* * *

><p>"Hey, Wolf!" A hand on his shoulder brought the Gods-Eater back to the morbid plain of reality, a place he had grown sick off years before, and he turned his attention to a worried Kota.<p>

"You okay?" He asked, "You've been a bit out of it."

He shrugged Kota's hand off, smirking and walking away.

"You shouldn't worry about me, Kota. You still have to do your homework."

"Wha-? How'd y'know?"

"I didn't. You're just predictablely lazy."

"Am not!"

"Keep telling yourself that." Wolf chuckled.

_Commander's Quarters, 7:27 AM, The Den_

"So, Sakuya. I heard you were gonna go out with a rookie for a mission." The current owner of the room took a seat, placing one arm over behind him, the other bringing up a beer to his lips.

"Where exactly did you hear that?" Sakuya Tachibana, a beauty and an ace-shooter, asked, her own beer in her hands despite the fact her's was unopened, in account of her dislike of the material liquid.

"Well..." Lindow tapped his nose thrice, prompting Sakuya to laugh.

"Well, Mr. Big boss, if you must know, then yes. I'm supposed to accompany the new-type rookie on a mission today," She placed her can of beer on the table, the ration still cold and fresh from the refrigerator.

"What exactly do you think of him?" Lindow's tone changed from his normal cheer to a serious display so suddenly, Sakuya couldn't answer immediately.

"Um..." She murmured. "Well...Kanon say's he's a jerk...before she went shy on me again...and the other rookie, Kota, I think his name was, said he was good guy..." She adopted a thoughtful pose, "Why? You interested in him or something?"

"Well...nevermind that...just give him something for me." He chuckled, grabbing her beer and opening it for himself.

Sakuya raised a delicate eyebrow. "Hm?"

_Dr. Sakaki's Lab, 8:00 AM, The Den_

"What do you think an Aragami is?" Sakaki asked, his smile still glued still on his face, "The nemesis of humankind, an absolute predator, destroyer of the world! Well, that about sums it up." Paylor clicked a button on a remote, and the projector shifted to an image of a red lion like aragami which was in the process of sending a none too friendly looking thunderbolt to whoever had taken this picture.

"Now then, these aren't misconceptions. Rather, you could simply say one has his eyes fixed on the phenomena before him."

One look at Kota would have told a retarded monkey that he neither understood anything that was said nor was he fully awake.

"Okay, I have a question!" Sakaki's cheerful tone snapped Wolf's attention away from the other rookie and back to the plastic smile doctor."Have you ever wondered how and why the Aragami came into being?"

"As you probably know, the Aragami appeared out of nowhere one day, since then their numbers exploded! Yep, as if they were ripping right through every evolutionary process."

Kota made a not so subtle yawn, and a flicker of annoyance came and went through Paylor's face, shockingly fast. Wolf didn't know if it was a trick of his sight, but Kota demanded his attention with a question before he could reach a conclusion, "Hey listen, does this lecture have a point? I mean, what do we care about the reason for the Aragami existence?"

"You sure about that?" Paylor's sudden appearance behind him, sent a shock to Kota, and the redhead released a yelp while latching on to the closest thing, Wolf's cranium.

And the blonde was not pleased, "Get off me..." Kota complied and muttered an apology.

"An Aragami has no brain. Neither does it have a heart, nor even spinal fluid. We frail humans will perish if we get blasted in the head, or the chest. But that's not enough to bring down an Aragami. An Aragami is a cluster of Oracle Cells, each of them a single-cell organism that thinks and preys on others. That's right, an Aragami in itself is a colony of thousands, no- make that hundreds of thousands, of life-forms. And this powerful, graceful fusion of cells can't be destroyed by conventional weapons – not the ones we have anyway."

"I heard about the incident with the nuclear reactor..." Wolf mumbled out.

"Ah, yes..." Paylor, though he was smiling, had a tone that only he could use, as it showed both fascination and yet, anger. "You heard about that little mission...yes, the one who created that mission was a fool, leaving a deciding factor in a key operation to mere chance. You shouldn't follow his footsteps, gods eater or not." Sakaki's smile turned into a frown for a moment.

"Right." Kota replied, serious for once and that returned Paylor's creepy grin.

"So how on Earth are you people supposed to battle these Aragami?" Paylor resumed.

"Um...just keep slashing and blasting them with our God Arcs?" Kota answered.

By the look on doc's face, that probably wasn't the answer he was looking for.

"Yes, the short answer is that. Using a god arc, a bio-weapon embedded with the same Oracle Cells, is the only way to stop the fusing of an Aragami's Oracle Cells. However, this can cause rogue cell colonies to re-fuse, and then form a new entity. The best thing to do, would be to extract the Aragami core, the cell colony serving as the command center. But this is extraordinarily difficult to do."

Yep. Murdering something that had that much endurance was a pain in the ass.

"Even with a God Arc, we have no way to deal a decisive blow. Somewhere along the way, the people likened this absolute being to countless gods that have been passed down around here, and they started to call it, "Aragami." Wolf nodded, he knew first hand, why they were 'absolute' as some thought.

"All right, that's it for today's lecture. Be so kind as to read up on the various kinds of aragami and weapon elements, understood?"

"Got'cha!" Kota said, toothy grin and all.

"Right. Like you'll actually do homework." Wolf rolled his eyes.

"Shut up..." Kota weakly replied.

_Reception Area, 9:34 AM, The Den_

After a good breakfast, the most important, and probably the least disgusting meal of the day, Wolf reported to his supervisor with a sense of urgency on keeping his punctuality, lest he face her anger. A mission was a mission but Tsubaki probably took every order with a strictness unparalleled, no matter how stupidly repetitive it sounded.

"Good, you're here." Tsubaki greeted, her usual clipboard held in the arm with no armlet. "You have a mission. Missions to be exact."

"Wow, two for one. I feel so loved." Wolf's tone didn't seem to bother her, probably because Lindow would have said something similar and, being his sister, some kind of immunity was there.

"Good for you. Now read up on the necessary information and join up with your teammate in the field." She handed him a small portable flat disc. Wolf flicked it open and eyed the machine as it came to life. Its screen glowed a pale white, and the Fenrir insignia was prominently displayed, before it faded and allowed a wall of text to show on the screen; mission details. "She's waiting and you know how rude it is to make people wait." He nodded and headed for the god arc storage facilities.

"Especially a woman." Tsubaki added, and he scoffed right before the massive entrance doors closed behind him with a mechanical snap.

**XxXxX**

Sneezing once from the horrid rain, he mentally cursed his 'supervisor' for not giving him any appropriate instructions on the bleak weather. He briefly wondered if Gods Eaters have stronger immune systems than normal humans, before putting it out of mind when the helicopter arrived on the designated rendezvous point, the red light fading as the green light glowed in the dim light of the helicopter. Wolf gave a questioning look to the cockpit, and the pilot signaled him to get out with a jab of the thumb to the door.

"Guess I should have read up on this place befor-..aah...aaaah...achoo!" For some reason, the pilot had a napkin on him. "Um...thanks..."

A thumbs up was what he got in reply.

Shivering a bit, he readied his god-arc, now attached to his back using a magnetic holster Licca had made for him,(the engineer chuckling and doing it as a good luck present when he had asked what she wanted in return) and jumped out, landing on solid ground and thankfully not slipping and bashing his head in. That would have made been a stupid way to die.

"Hey, rookie!" God, he was getting sick of that name. "Over here!"

Walking over to the waving woman, one he recognized from his time with Lindow yesterday, the blonde God Eater extended his hand in a form of greeting. Sakuya, if his memory served him right, taking it with a smile.

"Sakuya. Sakuya Tachibana."

"Wolf Arashi."

"I know." Her tone was cheerful when she said that, as if praising him, but then her expression shifted to one of vague curiosity. "Wow..."

"What is it? Something wrong?"

"No..." Sakuya shook her head, "It's just that Lindow was right. At first glance, a brick shows more emotion than you."

...

"Remind me to kill him later."

"Will do." Sakuya chuckled.

Preparing for the mission separately, they awaited for the signal to begin while Sakuya explained the reason they were currently standing in the rain like a couple of idiots.

"Okay. Our targets are a pair of Cocoon Maiden. Simple, so no way you'll die here." Sakuya rested her gun on her shoulder, Wolf noting it was much like how Lindow held his own blade, "You'll lead, I'll follow. Remember, don't go too far ahead. Always stay in my range of fire." A beep in her armlet alerted her, "Right. Let's go."

"You sure? When that hurricane is so close?"

"Yeah. It's been there for years. Hasn't moved or grown any bigger. Dr. Sakaki wanted to study it but lack of resources and all." She shook her head when she remembered all the persistent attempts to convince the director Paylor had done after that. "Anyway, we have to go. A Cocoon Maiden won't kill itself ya' know."

"Ladies first." Wolf said. Back was his apathetic features, and casual posture, as if he wasn't going into a battle but into a movie theater; one hand around his god arc and another in his pocket.

"Right...you're so much like Lindow sometimes." Sakuya chuckled, jumping down the ledge.

"You barely even know me and you compare me to that twit?" Wolf called out, following her.

Finding the Cocoon Maiden wasn't much of a problem. Stationary as it was, it were pretty easy to locate. Well, the fact that a purple bullet nearly took Wolf's head off helped...

Just a little though.

"12-o'clock!" Sakuya yelled out.

"Got it." Wolf changed modes, his gun jutting out and ready to blast.

A flurry of fire and ice shot out their guns but the Cocoon Maiden withstood the attack, albeit it flinched. Wolf changed forms, running so fast that he was already in front of the aragami when it snapped out of it's delirium and Wolf had already raised his god arc, ready to slice it in half.

"Watch out!" Sakuya's call saved his life.

Dodging to his left, spikes, of all things, emerged from it's chest, one coming close enough to skewer his shoulder. Wolf let out a wince in his refusal to scream at the piercing wound that throbbed in agony. If his dodge was even a second later, the thing would have pierced a lung. When the spikes retracted, Wolf backflipped away, skidding to a stop next to Sakuya.

"You okay?"

"I'll live." He replied, ignoring the pain his shoulder was broadcasting to his brain. He flicked it once, and held his god arc into a stance in front of him, once more ignoring the burning in his arm as he did so. His neck twitched uncomfortably, and his breathing became slightly more ragged.

"Right. 'Should have told you about their needle attacks..."

"Well, that would have been nice to know." Wolf glared at her, while Sakuya gave him a sheepish look.

Anything else they would have said was stopped when they both rolled away, dodging a blast from the aragami. Wolf charged again, jumping when he got close and landing behind the Cocoon Maiden and biting a chunk out of it's side and ripping it out, blood spraying the ground and a side of Wolf's god arc. Sakuya taking the opportunity and shooting a laser with pinpoint accuracy, no doubt a fire attack if the red glow of the bullet was anything to go by. A pair of red neon lines emerged from her sniper type gun and made a beeline straight for the aragami,

Wolf jumped back, lest he find himself burned by friendly fire, and wiped away at the rain now very much annoying him as it impeded his sight. A quick roll to the right saved him from harm as another laser, this one from the top of the Cocoon Maiden's head, fired at him and nearly busted a hole into his chest. Bringing his god arc up in front of him and holding the flat side as a shield, the blonde charged at the aragami, careful to keep himself as close to the ground as possible to minimize the open spots.

Unluckily, the Cocoon Maiden used its spikes once more, and Wolf met the sharp points with a jaw rattling ram.

Luckily though, he accounted for that.

One shift from the blade, and his gun was now right in front of the morbid face of the aragami. His legs were bent, and his waist was twisted in a way that looked extremely uncomfortable and unorthodox. But, with the spikes and all, if he even so much as moved an inch, he'd get skewered again. One hole in his shoulder was enough, and Kanon would give him an evil eye if he went back bleeding and out cold.

"Eat this." His gun was pressed with a decisive click and the last thing the aragami saw was the barrel of his gun as a bullet fired straight out like a cannon.

A mortar to the face was overkill.

Shifting his god arc back into its blade, the blonde took a step back and proceeded to devour its core. Sakuya approached him, and gave him a smile.

"Good, rookie. Reckless as heck, but good."

Wolf grunted and reverted his blade to its normal orange sword, instead of the snapping maw of the predator mode. He glanced at the glowing yellow orb embedded in the hilt of his god arc as it glowed with a pale yellow light, before leaning the blunt edge of the god arc on his shoulder in a manner reminiscent of Lindow.

"We've got one more, right?"

"Oh, its no problem. I took care of it." She jabbed a finger at one other smoking Cocoon Maiden. "It nearly killed me with a sneak attack, but I'll have you know I'm not just another pretty face." A grin that could be called impish appeared on her face, daring Wolf to say anything about her words.

"...Noted." New-type or not, he knew when to shut up.

"You were pretty good rookie. You'll make a great Gods Eater one day." A sad smile curled up one her lips, its sight leaving Wolf wondering if all Gods Eaters were as miserable as he was. "Of course, only if you survive that long...so...remember..." She squeezed Wolf's uninjured shoulder, "Work hard."

He stared plainly at her, a small feeling of appreciation welling in his gut before he nodded once and turned back, his hand back in his pocket.

"Oh, and one more thing." Sakuya said, flinging something at Wolf, "Lindow told me to give this to you. He said it was yours."

His hand blurred up, catching the object and lifting it up, the silver tint and it's form easily reminding him what it was. A necklace with an emblem of Fenrir hanged from the leather cord that weaved around it. His hand clutched it protectively and for a moment, Sakuya thought she saw agony flicker past his eyes.

_'Onii-chan!'_

"I was wondering where Sakaki put this..." Wolf muttered under his breath.

"What?" Sakuya asked, not having heard his sentence.

Gripping it tightly in one hand, Wolf turned away.

"You can tell him I said thanks." Wolf called back.

_Director's Office, 12:02 PM, The Den_

"Sir, we have a message from the European and Russian branches."

Johannes raised an eyebrow. What would those two want?

It wasn't like they were on unfriendly terms. Rather, one could say they were acquaintances, albeit barely. Johan had known Anna for a long time since they had been colleagues way back when the aragami were still quite nonexistent. Vladimir was one of the supporters of the Aegis project and had been quite cooperative with any requests. All of them were civil towards each other...but that didn't mean they were buddy-buddy. People included in Fenrir's politics were quite easily dissuaded by power and Johannes couldn't quite tell who was who in the blasted term.

Still, he was curious on what exactly they were calling about.

"Patch them through."

**"Johannes, old friend. Good** **to hear you haven't been overrun."** A female tone sounded, it's British accent, familiar to his ears.

_"Hello, Nightwing." _Russian, complete with the accent. A gruff, male showed annoyance in his tone.

**"Ah, Vladimir. So nice to hear from you."**

"Vladimir, Nightwing. Not that I'm not glad for your connection but is there any reason you called me?"

_"Ah, yes. Forgive our manners, lad. I've a need for your expertise in trainers."_

**"What a coincidence, so did I."**

"And?"

_"I need you to take care of a lass. She's intriguing as well. A new-type rookie for you to use."_

**"Oh?"**

"Why would you give me such an invaluable asset?"

_"Johannes lad, Russia is cold. We barely have enough food for our current God Eaters. Such, I contacted you. Your Den is self- sustaining and so you must have enough provisions to share."_

"You wish for a trade?"

_"Caught on quick, have we? Yes. I'd like 10% of your monthly crops for a year. Not a bad deal, eh?"_

**"Ha! All that food for a simple girl who has yet to be trained?"**

_"Who said she wasn't trained?"_

"Let me see her records."

_"Aye."_

His terminal lit up and Johannes immediately looked at it. Calculating her worth and her effectiveness alongside the monthly crops.

_"Well?"_

"8% for her."

_"Lad, tha' ain't enough. I have offers for 9%."_

"Well, then I won't go further than 9.5%." Johannes leaned back into his chair. "Keep in mind that the Den has more food than the other arcologies Fenrir has been able to establish. What you're getting is twenty percent more than the lowest city and four percent more than any other."

_"You got yourself a deal, lad. I'll fill out the paperwork and have Alisa flown in, in the next few days. Also, take care of her Johannes. Lass's had it hard without her_ _parents."_ With that, the Russian branch head, Vladimir disconnected.

"Right, now what about you, Nightwing?"

**"Please Johannes, call me Anna. We've known each other for a while now, eh? We were good mates even before this whole mess."**

"Get to the point."

**"Impatient as always, you blonde devil. Fine. I have one requesting for a transfer to your division. Keeps sprouting nonsense about a brother."**

"She's a new-type?"

**"My, aren't you psychic. Yes. A new-type and still untrained but her potential is quite remarkable. Girl ain't a bad shot and swordsmanship is astounding. She says she learned from her brother."**

"And how do you know she's not trying to get out of your branch for the sake of it?"

**"Ha! Because, if you records are correct, old chap, she does have a bloody brother there."**

"Oh? And who is this Gods Eater?"

**"Ah, yes. Her name. Can't forget that now, can we?"**

"Anna."

**"Yes, yes Johannes. I'm sending you her profile now. Don't get your knickers in a twist, eh?"**

Reloading the terminal, Johannes pressed the appropriate program, opening a message and intending to read with a fury. Instead, he stopped at the name. A moment, then another before he continued.

"What do you want in return?"

**"Shicksal, I'm hurt. Her transfer is simply a way for me to say 'Good Luck' in your Aegis project...and also..."**

"You want a ticket?"

**"Smart boy. Yes. One golden ticket for one remarkable soldier. Fair, don't you think?"**

Johannes contemplated, no doubt weighing the means and the ends. Finding no drawbacks, he turned back.

"When can you fly her in?"

**"I'll have her** **there..."** A small contemplating grunt sounded from the call, **"A****round the same time as Vladimir's brat."**

"If that's all, then farewell."

Johannes von Shicksal, director of the Den, sighed. Staring simply at the profile, or perhaps...more on the name.

_Saya Arashi_

'With this many new-types...the plan will go much smoother.' He stood up, a rare smile on his face. 'Yes...the world shall be reborn, anew.'

His smile dropped, turning to a small machine, a bug stuck on his his room, Lindow eavesdropped on the conversation.

"More new-types...this is gonna get interesting." More pieces were moved on the board. What would he do, now?

_Reception Area, 3:09 PM , The Den_

"Good. You're back." Wolf walked towards his supervisor, her clipboard in her hands as always. "Your next mission is an extermination. You'll have two teammates. Make sure not to rely on them too much. Pull your own weight. Both Cocoon Maidens and Ogretails have been sighted. Remember to- what happened with your shoulder?"

"Needle attack." Wolf grunted.

His supervisor shook her head.

"Figures. Report to the medical bay first. Your mission can wait."

"Wha-? I'm fine. Really."

"Even so, you're hurt. I'm your supervisor first, your mission chief second."

"Fine." He gave out an exasperated sigh and walked to the lift."

_Medical Bay, 3:15 PM, The Den_

Entering the medical bay, the smell of needles, disinfectant and anything of least bit medical use assaulted his nose. Knocking on the wall to alert anyone in the empty room of his presence, Wolf wrinkled his nose at the smell of a place that was too clean to be natural.

"Anyone here?" Wolf called out, the blonde taking a few steps forward.

"I'll be with you in a minute!" A voice called out,

A voice he recognized.

Kanon Daiba stepped out from a shade, immediately giving him an annoyed stare, no doubt remembering his little run-in with her.

"What do you want?"

Wolf sighed. Just his luck. A girl who was PMS'ing was gonna be his nurse.

"Oh, you're injured." Her tone changed, softer this time and she grabbed his arm and practically threw him on a bench.

**Hard.**

"Wait here."

She ran into what looked like a supply closet, tinkering around and looking for her required treatment materials. A loud crash made the Wolf jump, along with a very loud, very angry voice yelling a certain word that starts with an 'f'. A piece of metal, Wolf had no idea what the hell it was, rolled out from open doors of the closet, and circled around the floor for a few seconds, before losing its balance and clattering to the floor. Wolf looked at it uncertainly. Moments passed in the room, the blonde occupying the bench sending a curious gaze as various swears flew out of the stock closet, very much cursing whoever had organized the place, last.

Kanon knew quite a bit about vocabulary.

A minute passed, and the blonde was getting antsy, when the pinkette showed up with a handful of bandages and disinfectants. A rather scary expression was on her face, and Wolf tried not to flinch when it was redirected to him.

"...Are you alright?" Wolf asked gingerly, knowing he was currently in the process of playing the metaphorical game of'don't step on a land-mine'.

Kanon huffed, and grabbed a table, kicking it to Wolf when she saw it had wheels. Said new-type was barely able to bring up a leg that stopped it from colliding with his abdomen, and he sent Kanon the most deadpanned expression he could, which was quite easy with all the boredom he showed as his usual expression. "Don't you medics have some sort of rulebook? 'Do no harm' or whatever?"

Kanon rolled her eyes, and placed the supplies she held in her hand unto the table. "I tossed out that rule book when people started pissing me off. Now take off your shirt."

"What?"

"Strip." Kanon repeated, with a sickeningly sweet voice. "I can't treat you with a shirt in my way."

"Oh...uh..."

"What? Did you think we were gonna have angry, kinky sex?"

Wolf sighed, shut up, and complied. He didn't want this conversation to continue, and what better way to derail a conversation than making the tracks vanish? No sooner did he get the cloth off did Kanon dab a cotton ball into the disinfectant. A burning pain in his shoulder registered, and Wolf hissed at the familiar tingle of anti-oxidants. Kanon grinned at him and gave him a look. "You're seriously gonna die~" She said, in a sing-song voice. "I mean, you've had two missions already. Not in one of them have you not come back here without bleeding all over the place."

Wolf grunted and tried not to move so much as the pinkette placed the drenched cotton ball over the reddening gorge in his shoulder. Kanon frowned at his disregard, and poured a drop over the injury. Wolf yelped, and gave her a look that was both endearing, and nearing the edge. Like a psycho straining not to kill someone, or a volcano not trying to blow.

"It's not bad. Just muscle and skin. It completely missed the bone, so you won't need to be hospitalized, thank goodness." Kanon gave him a cheery smile, and Wolf gave her a wary stare. Does this girl have a split personality or something?

"So, how's your family?" Kanon asked, an attempt to lighten his suffering or maybe because of the awkwardness, Wolf didn't know.

"Dead."

"All of them?"

A nod.

"I find that hard to believe."

"Look around you, the world just ended."

"Doesn't mean you don't have a family."

"Really?"

His face somehow twisted into a smile.

"It's just... you have these eyes."

"Hm?"

"Your eyes. It's dark...like you're miserable and have no real purpose."

"Gee, thanks."

"But...I see something else. You have that glint in your iris that I've seen other people have. You're fighting to protect someone. It's why you joined Fenrir."

Wolf didn't answer, his hand unconsciously clutching his necklace. For a ditz, and unstable bi-polar girl with a weird hair color, Kanon could be deductive if she wanted. Sighing once, the blonde gods eater leaned back into his chair, ignoring the pout Kanon sent his way.

"I'll need to stitch it, so I'll be right back." She shook her head in exasperation at Wolf's silence before turning away to disinfect a needle.

Wolf sighed.

Moments later, Kanon came back, drying her hands on a towel. Wolf had to stifle a flinch when he saw the wicked curved edge of a thin metal protrusion. He hated needles...and doctors...and anything medical, really. Kanon didn't seem to notice and pricked his skin with a cautious look sent his way. Wolf tried not to think about the burning...white hot...sting...in his...shoulder...

Fuck, that hurt!

"My sister." Wolf blurted, trying to get anything that would take his mind off the pain.

"Hm?"

"It's who I'm protecting."

"Your profile doesn't mention a sister."

"I sent her to Europe...it's safer there." Wolf looked oddly at the medic, "Wait a minute. You checked my profile?"

"Uh...um...hey, whaddaya know! I'm done!" Cutting the thread simply to get away from the subject, Kanon smiled sheepishly while Wolf smirked.

"You have a crush or something?"

Now it was Kanon's turn to blush.

"G-go screw yourself!"

"Wanna join me?"

"W-wha-?"

Wolf laughed, ducking and dodging an angrily flung pillow from Kanon.

"Okay, okay. No more sex jokes."

"You better..."

"Yeah, yeah." A hug from Wolf was what she least expected.

So why the hell did he do that?

His warm embrace stopped her cold and for a moment she had contemplated _returning_ it, 'Why...how...is he...?' Kanon's mind turned blank, Wolf's hands behind her clutched her protectively, and she fidgeted warily. Her face felt hot, and she was sure it had reddened by a fair bit, and gave an awkward look around to check the room, hoping no one could see them like this. It wasn't that she hated Wolf...but, dammit, the guy was half-naked and she barely knew him.

Still...his embrace was...nice.

Wolf seemed to realize just what it was he was doing and who it was he was currently putting his arms around, and backed away, trying to explain himself. He spluttered with his words, and faltered at the crimson Kanon had displayed quite successfully into her cheeks; the pinkette averted her gaze, and he scratched the back of his neck. It was something he'd always do if he felt embarrassed.

"I-I...um...I'm sorry. Y- you just reminded me of my sister and you look like-"

"N-no...it's fine. Don't worry."

Awkward moment...

"Um...don't you have a mission?"

"Oh...oh! Crap! Tsubaki's gonna kill me! Bye!"

"Bye..."

Wolf ran out, so fast it was a small miracle the clinic didn't get sucked along with him. Kanon turned back, and tried not to think about the last few minutes in the bay. A second later and a laugh reached the pinkette's ears, one she recognized as the first unit leader's.

"Woah, rookie. Where you going in a hurry and why don't you have a shirt on?" Another laugh echoed before, "You and Kanon have some fun time?"

"Goddamn it, Lindow!"

* * *

><p>A new shirt back on his top, Wolf readied his god arc, stretching his arm and working out the kinks while ignoring the slight pain from his earlier injury. With a pat on the back, Wolf nodded to the pilot, the same one earlier and gave a two fingered salute.<p>

"Wolf Arashi, cleared for take off." He mumbled, covered by the whir of the helicopter's blades so that no one could hear his little joke.

He jumped out, the rapid fall from twenty stories was still quite a scare to him and his slowly easing fear of heights, but the blonde tried to find comfort in the quick breeze rushing past his scalp and the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Nearing a building, he unlocked his god arc before violently embedding it into the glass, shrapnel and debris falling as his descent slowed, giving the large construct a long gash before he backflipped and landed, his knees bending to minimize the fall. He stood up, placing his god arc back on it's holster and running to the rendezvous point. It was a five minute walk and he had no intention of being late.

_Rally Point, 4:28 PM, Sunken Grid_

'Everything is so depressing around here.' Broken walls, dirty water, ruined buildings- it was like something out of a horror movie. 'Is the rest of the world like this? Broken and crushed?'

Wolf laughed at himself as his feet carried him through the plant. His god arc's weight was a comfort to him, the scent of metal and polished steel was a familiar smell, and it was reminiscent to his own blade. It was a trivial trait of a sword that he always would take a bit of ease with, as it told him he had a means to defend whatever he wished to defend. It meant he wasn't powerless.

"What a stupid question." He muttered, and kicked a pebble away. It skipped off the ground and splashed into the water with an audible 'plop', as it sunk into the depths. Wolf growled in his sudden depressive line of thought and quickened his pace, careful to watch every corner and shadow he passed, even his own, like the darkness would suddenly peel itself from the ground and engage him with hostile intent. Every step was made careful to make as little sound as possible, and the blonde's breathing was lower than a weak breeze.

Nothing about him was a rookie in sneaking about. He was a teenager, but neither Yuka nor Fenrir cared what age their employees were. As long as they were fine with a blade, they had a use for you, you were hired with a job and a list of things to do. Assassination had come up more than once in those times.

He grimaced and tried not to think about it. Eden would probably ashamed of him if the old bastard learned what Wolf was doing with the skills of swordsmanship he'd been taught. Not to mention what his sister would think if she learned exactly how he'd earned enough money to buy her all those things she wanted.

"Ends don't justify the means." He muttered again, and dislodged the thought as he approached a pair of humans. One of them was brooding far-off from his companion, and the other looked quite bored with waiting.

A cocky smile appeared on the bored one's face, and he flicked his red hair back in a haughty manner. He approached Wolf with a pace that seemed to be both professional and giddy with the arrival of another person.

"So, you're the new rookie I've been hearing so much about?"

Wolf walked past him. He was still in a bad mood over his little thoughts, and right now, this man looked like he was about to go on a half-ass rant. He was in no mood for any of it, and silence would be welcome anytime now.

"Hey! You can't ignore my magnificence!" Great. A narcissist to top if off. "I'm Eric." Eric flipped his hair again, and Wolf stopped himself to look at the gunner.

Staring at the man as he continued a speech that sounded very much rehearsed in front of a mirror, Wolf noted everything of interest there was with a critical discernment. People can be judged by their cover, if you had the eye for it.

His hair was spiked, and very much untamed like his, yet that was where it ended. If anything, their hair style was probably the only thing they had in common. Where Wolf was blonde, Eric was a bright redhead, and where Wolf preferred black clothes that covered every part of him, Eric seemed to take pleasure in showing off those tattoos on his chest, what with the open vest, and lack of a shirt. Black pants were wrapped by strange boots that ended in the middle of his shins, wrapping his baggy pants short of leg length in the bandages...or were those socks?

Whatever.

Shades. Not very sunny out here in this godforsaken land, so the man was using them just for pleasure. Definitely rich since he was sure the frame was from some fashion company, and it had none of the flaws of any copies. Eric's posture was loose and yet, there was no slouch. Unlike other people his age where they would usually lean a little bit forward or backward, depending on their past actions. So, he didn't have to work much when he was younger. But the redhead's frame looked bulky in comparison to Wolf's own lean frame, so he must have at least worked out or was a veteran in the gods eaters.

Definitely rich. Proud as well if the monologue still hadn't ended...

And it hadn't. In fact, Eric was trying twice as hard when he saw how disinterested Wolf looked like, not knowing it was the blonde's usual emotion.

"Eric, above you!"

"Wa-AAAaaaaaah!"

A terrible shriek of fear snapped him out of his thoughts, and his gaze was snapped up to the sky where an ogretail loomed over them with a deadly glint in its eyes. Wolf was ready to jump back, yet he cursed when he saw the frozen state of the old type gunner. Freezing up was one of the worst things a person could do in a battlefield, especially when fighting beasts that wanted to just take a bite out of your hide. Eric had apparently not been faced with the possibility of death all too many times, or perhaps this one thing caught him off guard.

Whatever it was, Wolf couldn't exactly leave him behind to die.

With a growing apprehension, Wolf grabbed unto the scruff of the red haired rich boy's vest and yanked him barely out of harm's way. Unfortunately, the enhancements were still quite new to him, and he wasn't able to control his strength which resulted in Eric tumbling back where the other person in a hood leaped over the rolling man's path, and gave the ogretail a sizable cut into its back. But the ogretail didn't seem bothered by the wound, and had made an immediate advance unto Wolf, the blonde narrowly rolling to avoid the jaws that clamped shut where his head once was.

In a practiced maneuver, the new-type's sword was out of its magnetic holster before he was even up to his feet. He turned around and charged the ogretail, the blade in his hands skidding with the cement floor and crafting a gash along where it ran across. It sent sparks flying as Wolf kicked off into a sprint, bringing it up and decapitating the aragami with a simple upward swing of his blade.

Blood stained his cheek, and he was momentarily taken back as crimson liquid spurted like a fountain out of the thing's severed head and body. Jumping back, the blonde skidded to a stop right next to the hooded teen that was silent while watching him with a critical eye. A large god arc was set on the stranger's shoulder, and Wolf had to find the whole tall, dark and crap thing fit whoever this was practically like a magic glove.

"Welcome to this godawful work place." He grunted out with a sardonic wave of his free hand that gestured to the ogretail that lay dead. Wolf gave him a grunt, and set about devouring the core. Eric seemed to have recovered in the short time the battle had taken place, and jogged back to their position, much more wary and with a tint of red on his cheeks.

"Saved by a rookie," Groaning, the redhead tried not to feel too much embarrassment. "How...un-magnificent."

Wolf didn't even think that was a word but whatever.

"We've got company." Wolf nodded to the direction as a pack of ogretail appeared, stalking to them slowly and eyeing them like they were dinner which, to them, was damn close.

Only dinner didn't get up, and fight back.

And they were definitely not dinner.

"I'm Soma. Not that you need to remember it." Soma gave a half-hearted introduction, already settling into a stance. Wolf remained silent, watching the scene unfold with his god arc clasped tightly into his hands, held out in front of him. "Just stay out of my way as much as possible."

Wolf didn't dignify that with a response, and charged as the pack advanced further into them.

Soma trailed behind him, and Eric was busy shooting bullets like no tomorrow. Wolf made sure to keep himself close to the ground as salvo after salvo fired overhead and rushed to the beasts, exploding right in their faces and stopping their halt. Breaking his run, the blonde pivoted his heel and made a sharp left, and dashed around them, successfully obstructed by the smoke Eric's barrage had brought up. Soma seemed to get his plan, and broke off to the right.

At the edge of his vision, the blonde registered a mound of dirt be disturbed as a Cocoon Maiden popped out of the higher ground. Wolf cursed and broke the formation to engage it. He couldn't fight ogretails while avoiding the damn lasers aimed at his head. It would be simpler to kill one target first rather than frantically rush around trying not to get hit by the very much hated beams it seemed to sprout right out of his head. Bringing up his god arc, the blonde blocked the laser with the flat side of the sword. It exploded harshly and slowed him down, but the blonde was undeterred. Another laser came at him, and this time, the new-type swung at it with his blade, cutting it with a serrated edge and dispersing it into nothing more than harmless fireworks.

He leaped up, and grabbed unto the ledge before pulling himself up and over quickly. He immediately had to duck to the right as a wall of needles came to greet him as soon as he pulled himself up. His god arc shifted with nothing but a mental command that was transmitted through the armlet, activating the predator mode. It snapped and growled where it grew from the hilt, and Wolf thrust it out into the Cocoon Maiden. It gave a shrill shriek as part of it was ripped off before dissolving into black gelatinous ichor at the lack of a core.

Wolf had no time to celebrate as he felt a searing pain impact into his back as another laser came and would've burned through his clothes had they not been soaked with oracle cells.

Gritting his teeth, he turned with a rage enhanced glare at the Cocoon Maiden a distance away at an elevated yet lower position from where he was. Scowling, the blonde got up and ignored the throb of complaint of his body and leaped off the small construct he had jumped on. Holding out his god arc in a reverse grip, the new-type flew through the air for a few seconds, clearing the distance easily and embedding his blade into the aragami's meaty hide. It shrieked and seemed to panic at the sword that was lodged into its chest, pinning it close so it couldn't open it for a spike attack. Instead, a laser formed on top of its head, but Wolf was not looking to get intimate with the ball of energy.

Cruelly, the blonde twisted the sword and wrenched a good deal of flesh into a tangled mop with his action, before yanking the sword straight up, cutting the thing into two pieces. It fell to the ground in two unequal and bloody halves. Wolf wrinkled his nose in disgust before turning away from the gruesome sight with little more than a grimace that was replaced by the cold apathy he would always wear.

Apathy made it easier to kill. He'd learned that years ago.

_'A blade is meant to kill.'_ He repeated the words his teacher had told him. _'It is meant to cut, to harm, to maim.'_

An ogretail charged blindly at him with a guttural roar. Wolf's sword flashed from his side, and the monster was suddenly on the ground, trashing in pain at the loss of one of its legs. Wolf glared balefully at the rest of the surviving aragami, and Soma seemed to have been taken aback when a growl emitted from the blonde's throat.

_'It is meant to slaughter, to shred and to tear.'_ Coldness radiated off him, yet while Soma's coldness was one derived from hate that steamed from a natural viciousness, Wolf's was one of complete lack of emotion. As if he'd pushed a button and made all the things that made him seem human vanish. It was one of complete emptiness, disregard for life, and uncaring at the face of mortality. It was a void that was given features. _'Yet you must know when to sheathe it and when to draw it.'_

Wolf found his god arc to be suddenly lighter. He held the blade with one hand and jabbed it at the cautious pack, as if saying 'come-and-try'.

"A blade is meant to kill."


	6. Snowing

**Helloooooo...**

**Well, me being the dumb idiot I was, got into a fight. Started out as a fist fight but then we noticed the pile of handy, metal rods near us and pretty soon we were dishing out brain damage to each other.**

**So here I am, in my room, grounded...with some bruised ribs but nothing too bad.**

**I recently found out about my ninja sword skillz! XD**

**Seriously though, my fucking stomach hurts and me being an idiot(13 year-old ninja idiot, mind you) didn't have any painkillers.**

**Anyway, I'm gonna write a chapter or two in the next few weeks because...nothing else to do.**

**Update: Revised the chapter.**

* * *

><p><em>A speck of snow floated ever so gently down a massive field of grass, the frozen flake joining thousands more around the outer ghetto's <em>transfer bay<em>. Yet, the chilling cold air was not comprehended by both of the siblings, its frost failing to grip at them in the moment of farewell for years to come. Last words are unchanging, as it was known, as two pairs of blue eye were shown, one displaying sadness, the other having something akin._

_Love._

_"Why won't you come?" Her voice was slow, sof_t and strained; three words that he never wanted to use to describe her or anything that had to do with her.  
><em>_

**You were so innocent...**

_"I...have to do something for you...for us. Fenrir will help, so I have to be here for a while." A hug and a muffled cry from his baby sister had his lips moving into a smile, her pink hair wrapped in a ponytail reminding him so much of his mothers. "But I'll be there...whenever you need help. Okay?"_

_Shaky hands wrapped around his waist and his resolve strained. The older sibling, now fifteen, embraced his smaller thirteen year-old sister. Farewells were never his for_te, bu_t righ_t now, his effor_ts needed _to be perfec_t for _the smiling li_t__tle girl______._____

_"Promise?" He nodded, his sister's tears mismatching her smirk when he did so, "If you don't, I'll make you swallow a hundred needles!"_

_"Well, I guess I shouldn't break my promise, now should I?" He chuckled._

_"Yup! I'll give you a reminder as well!" She smiled, delving into her pockets and bringing out her small hands, overjoyed when she found her target._

**Yet so naive.**

_"Keep this!" She grinned childishly, her hands handing him a small leather stringed necklace with a insignia of the wolf, Fenrir. Her brother smiled sadly, his rough hand wrapping around the necklace, a memento of his only family for years to come._

**_But..._**

_"Miss Yuka said this is Fenrir! A great wolf who could beat up aragami, easy!"_

_She embraced him, her shorter frame coming up short of his neck and Wolf found a comfortable place to rest his head, "Be safe, brother."_

**I loved you...as you were. Never changing as my little sister.**

_"You too, Saya."_

_"Goodbye, brother." A final hug wrapped around me in farewell, and he inhaled her scent deeply, trying to commit it to memory even as she slipped from his grasp, leaving him alone in the cold frost of winter, a sad smile alight in his lips. Snow blanketed the region, chilling him with its foreign touch and icy breath.  
><em>

_Wolf noted it was so much colder now and he s_tuffed his bare hands in_to his pocke_ts as he wa_tched _the helicop_ters fly off _to _their des_tina_tion.__________  
><em>

**Was that...selfish of me?**

Wolf clutched his necklace, a wistful stare gazing out at the rising sun as dawn broke over the horizon. Beauty and splendor, untouched and unfazed by time or the darkness of the crisis. His nostalgia reminded him of times, of memories he and his sibling shared. Saya...was she watching the same sunset?

A small memory came back, a time when he and Saya were in the very room he was in, a sleeping pink head of hair leaning on his shoulder while he watched the sun dip down into it's own peaceful slumber. His reminiscing brought a sense of loneliness in him, yet he knew whatever happened, Saya's safety came first, whether he finds her again or otherwise. His lips parted for a sigh of weariness, and he leaned back in his seat on the floor, next to the grave of his parent. His skin grazed with stone, but he paid no heed to it and simply listened deeper to the music in his ears. It was a soft melody that played in a slow rhythm, enticing him with a lullaby like sweetness. It had no lyrics, yet it was most likely for the best. Without the voice of a human, the sense of solitude seemed to be a comfort. It rang clearly into his ears, as he watched the myriad colored sky dip deeper into the horizon. It was peaceful, and the soft music was no determent to that.

_'A brother must protect his little sister.'_ His mother's phantom seemed to whisper to him. He squeezed the ornament around his neck, and his past resolve settled around his disinterested demeanor. He wouldn't fail this promise.

No matter what the cost.

"You know, this is kinda a bad idea." A small whisper and he turned his attention to the pinkette who, this time, he'd actually noticed following from the start. "No one know's about this place...and an aragami might come up here and eat you without looking and I would get blamed and-"

"I get it..." He sighed, turning his eyes back to the rising sun, red rays peaking through the destroyed city, nearly clearing the outline. "But this place is..."

Kanon looked oddly at him, raising an eyebrow and walking to his spot. She looked strangely at the placid expression that must have been strange to see above the usual apathy. A small smile was resting on his lips, and she quirked an eyebrow before setting her god arc down and sitting beside him, her knees up to her chest,"It's what?" She inquired, Wolf chuckling shortly and Kanon's face twisted into a glare.

"I'm sorry...you just remind me of my sister." He unconsciously grasped his necklace. Kanon seemed understanding, and Wolf wondered if she was in a situation like him. A loved one had gone from their life, just like that. Knowing this world, it wasn't far-fetched for the right people to be handed the wrong cards by life.

"Hey," She absently tried not to lean unto the grave marker of Wolf's parents. "I'm sorry about slapping you."

"No worries." His smile turned a bit wider. Miniscule at best if Kanon could barely pick up the small twitch that indicated it. "Lindow gets under my skin about it but he means well."

"Kinda like me?"

"Hmmm...maybe."

"Not as cute, though."

"Aren't you proud?"

Kanon giggled, prodding Wolf's side with a finger, playfully with a grin, "Well, you seemed to like me."

"Really?" A sarcastic tone dripped from his words, a blunt edge only meant to amuse them both.

"Hugging little' ole me doesn't help your defense."

"Who says I'm defending?"

His retort served his intended purpose as the pinkette blushed a deep scarlet and Wolf laughed, Kanon pouting in return of their banter.

"Y'know...you've told me about your family...so how about you meet mine?" Kanon's cheery tone set Wolf back on track.

Raising an eyebrow, he grinned wryly and asked, "Are you asking me to meet your parents? We haven't even dated, yet."

Instead of a stutter and a flustered look, Kanon smiled, replying with too much cheer, "Would you like to?"

So instead, he was the stuttering, flustered moron. He tried to say something, anything really, but what came out was something more of a, "Um...guh..."

"What? Not cute enough for you?" She giggled, and Wolf was still unable to compose himself.

"I don't know." Wolf shrugged. "I've never actually had a girlfriend before."

He's _slept_ with other people, sure, and he had rather extenuating circumstances that made him listen to quite a few people's problems when he was a bartender, but sex and an actual relationship are two very different things. Kanon probably didn't know about the particular tid-bit of his life, but his mind drifted off to the times when Yuka had shoved him into many a girls' house with a condom and the words, 'Don't take too long'.

He was pissed at the first time when the bar owner had apparently shoved him into the apartment of a girl who'd had a crush on him...while she was in the shower no less. Wolf had tried to stutter out an apology but the condom in his hands and the dripping visage of a nearly naked girl left him floundering and they had just sat on a couch awkwardly which led to a rather hasty confession, and then the kiss and after that...well, he got laid, to put it bluntly.

And yet, he still didn't go into a serious relationship with her. Heck, he didn't even remember her name, which was something he was quite ashamed of, really. All he remembered was basically sex, confessions, a lot of guilt, and slowly telling her he wasn't interested in a relationship- not necessarily in that order.

Still...Kanon seemed alright, and it wasn't like if he agreed, he would be doing it just to have some one night stand, and to be honest, he liked the pinkette. Yuka had always told him he liked girls who were just as stubborn if not more so than him.

'Whipped' was the word she described him with.

"Well," Kanon poked her fingers together, fidgeting with an red blush on her cheeks. "Neither have I, really. A boyfriend, I mean."

Wolf quirked an eyebrow. Kanon seemed shy, but not overly so. Plus, it wasn't like she looked grotesque or anything, quite the opposite, really. She didn't come off as the type that demanded things every second of the day, and she certainly didn't act like everyone was her enemy.

His expression must have been mirrored by some other people who'd also received the information previously, because Kanon already answered the unvocalized question. "I've had a couple of...er...offers. But, I barely even knew them...and they looked like they were just making a plan for a romp or something. Perverts..."

Wolf tired not to think of all the one night stands he'd so far done. It didn't work and he suddenly felt like the shit stain of humanity. He turned back to the conversation to hopefully get back on topic and away from the regret.

"Sure."

"Hm?"

"Let's give it a try." Wolf shrugged nonchalantly. "Why not?"

It may have seemed weird for the new-type to take an offer just like that, when he himself had numerously told other girls he wasn't looking for anything above acquaintance or friendship. Actually, it was nearly bizarre that the blonde would even get a girlfriend without a fight on his part, or some careful words here and there that would make a sane person want to punch the Arashi for the circuitous conversation he would put them in. Wolf was a person who wasn't content to be by himself, as that was normal. But he was afraid of getting close to people, and after watching all he loved burn to the ground, no one could blame him if they actually got to know him. After all, no one can see their lives fall apart and walk away socially apt.

Still, the talk with Kota had been rather enlightening. Kota, though not the brightest light in the building, was straightforward. Most would find him lacking any tact, but that was because the redhead preferred to face reality rather than sugarcoat a single morsel of despair. With this bluntness, he sometimes gave advice that had a certain clarity and wisdom that others lacked. Wolf found it endearing as life usually turned everything around into a complete car wreck of thoughts. A dash of simplicity was what everyone needed, once in a while, and Kota had told him straight out he needed to be more social.

Which leads us to his acceptance of an offer.

"Huh?" Kanon seemed shocked he'd actually taken it. She tilted her head to look at him more directly, since he wasn't facing her. An incredulous expression that seemed almost rattled had morphed her features into a admissibly cute frown.

"What?" Wolf questioned, his face dropping back into an indifferent feature. His gray blue eyes looked toward the pinkette directly, prying away from the setting sun. "You don't want to?"

"N-no...uh...I just thought...well," Kanon fidgeted nervously, her face now very much red. "you didn't really try to be social. So, I thought you liked to be by yourself, and you'd decline or something."

Wolf remained silent and turned his attention back to the sunset.

"I-I'm sorry." Kanon apologized. "B-but...I meant it...when I asked, y'know. You seem like a good person underneath all the apathy...and I guess I'm kinda curious about the whole 'relationship' thing."

"You look cute when you blush."

"E-eh?" Her face was suddenly even hotter. So red that it suddenly neared the shade of her neon pink hair. She was sure the blonde was smirking right now, as she tried to fight down the blush that covered her face.

Wolf turned to her, a casual smirk playing at his lips. "I look forward to meeting your family."

"I-I'll tell them I'm bringing a guest." Kanon smiled widely.

_Lobby, 2:42 PM, The Den_

"Kongou?"

Hibari nodded. "It's been a while since one was spotted here. It's already been a few months, but it looks like this one's come back from hibernation." She looked at him with a business-like stare, her brows knit together and her face dropped into a schooled expression as she commenced to brief him on the situation with a practiced tone that sounded both professional and in nature.

Brushing a speck of dust from her black and white uniform, the auburn haired operator gave a glance to her lower right. Her hand went up immediately and straightened out her golden lapel perfectly with the dark red tie around her collar. Sufficiently satisfied with her outward look, Hibari turned her attention back to the rusty looking computer screen on her mahogany desk. A delicate hand pressed the keys with practiced ease, and just like that, Wolf was assigned to the mission.

"Tsubaki has personally recommended you for this mission, and it has been decided that Kota Fujiki shall take part, as well." Hibari reached below the brown, varnished counter and retrieved a metallic disk, flatter than even her fingers, yet as wide as her palm. It glowed a metallic sheen in the artificial light of the Den, its silver case seemingly a ball room for the fluorescent lights. "Mission details are scarce, but there are no signs of any aragami apart from the Kongou and several Ogretails and Cocoon Maidens. You have also been asked to dispose of them, if possible."

Wolf bobbed his head once in a confirmation. One of his hands took the disk from the older woman's held out palm, and he gripped it firmly before placing it in the baggy pockets of his black pants to be read later.

"Fujiki is already waiting for you in the upper booth." Hibari bowed deeply, before quickly straightening up. "Please be careful."

Wolf thanked the operator, and turned to his right where a staircase was located. His boots carried over the steps with a muffled thump on the carpeted floor every time his soles impacted unto the wool. He passed by the merchant, stopping for a second and glancing at the laid out items with a quick scan for anything he had missed to restock on. Finding nothing new or required, the blonde turned away and ignored the stingy look he was sent.

"Oi, blondie." An oily voice called from his back, and he turned to the merchant he passed. A dark-skinned hand beckoned him to come closer, and Wolf looked to his sides to see if he was talking to anyone else. Finding no other blondes, he approached the hispanic merchant with his usual half-lidded stare. "Haven't introduced myself yet, have I?"

Wolf shook his head in a negative.

"Well, the name's Daichi." Daichi held out a hand, and Wolf looked at it dubiously. From what he'd seen, this man was a cheap bastard who would sell his own mother to line his pockets. Call him paranoid, but the blonde was naturally cautious of people he's never met on a personal level before, especially ones with the sharp glint of greed in their eyes. However, the new-type gingerly reached out a hand and clasped it with the buck-hat wearing businessman. One shake of the hand was exchanged, before they each let go and Wolf subtly wiped the hand on his jacket.

"What do you want with me?" Wolf doubted it was because the man wanted to be buddy-buddy with him. Something about the way he smirked didn't seem like he cared all too much about the company he kept. Probably more concerned on his money.

"You're Wolf, right?" He asked, pointing at Wolf with a suspicious narrowing of his eyes from behind the black tinted shades. "Wolf Arashi?"

Wolf made an uneasy nod.

"I knew it! You...you're seriously ole' barrel's right hand man!" Daichi seemed giddy at the discovery of the new-type's identity, and Wolf blanched when he heard the merchant in front of him say that nickname in such a public area. One hand twitched in reflex to his pocket, as if reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. Wolf forced himself to relax.

"Shut up." Wolf spoke again. His tone was menacing, and like that of a person that was dangerously close to the point of aggravation. Daichi's smile lowered into a grimace, and he immediately covered his own voice. Wolf's eyes was an icy blue that seemed to have a dangerous glint to them as they stared in contempt at him, like the businessman had discovered one of the worst things he _**could** _discover in all his life, and Wolf was there to make sure he wouldn't blab, either through his elimination or by keeping a close eye on him. "Now, I'll ask again. What do you want?"

"I-I," Daichi stuttered before regaining his composure with a nervous cough. Putting on a sly smile, the red and white clad man tried not to appear frightened by the blonde's icy gaze and spoke with purpose, and an even tone, "I've heard how popular those brews of yours are. All I'm asking is if you brew one or two casks of liquor for me. I can make it worth your while. Whaddaya say?"

"You do this kind of stuff with Fenrir's permission?" Wolf asked.

Daichi clicked his tongue disdainfully at the floor, before turning back to look the new-type square in the eye. "Hell, no. I'm lucky if they let me sell a pack of cigarettes here. Alcohol? Ha, forget it."

"So, you want me to make a brew, and let you sell off alcohol to hormone unbalanced teenagers with superhuman capabilities?" Wolf scoffed, and turned away. "Forget it. Yuka doesn't like having others brew her recipes. I'm an exception, and she made me swear I wouldn't make any outside her shop."

"C'mon, man. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. Just think about all th-"

"No."

"Let me finish first. C'mon, let's not be too hasty." He added with a persuading tone.

"What part of no," Wolf turned, and Daichi froze at the dangerous look he was sent. "do you not understand?"

"H-hey, I understand it perfectly!" Daichi raised his arms defensively, unconsciously backing further into the railing he leaned on, cowering at the glowing glare Wolf seemed to have mastered into an art. "It's j-just that you should think about the opportunities."

"I understand the opportunities, perfectly." Wolf bent down to eye level. "I think it's you who should learn when to take no as an answer."

Daichi flinched at the glare, and stiffed into a statue. His limbs froze as he broke in cold sweat when Wolf's eyes flickered a brief rich gold, then back to the frosty blue. A hand wrapped around the collar of his yellow shirt, and the entrepreneur was suddenly pulled face to face by the blonde. "Alright! Sorry, sorry. You can't blame me for trying to make a living. Guy's gotta eat."

Standing up, the blonde looked around and was thankful no one had noticed their conversation. No other gods eaters, and Hibari was too busy with something on her computer to even make a sideways glance at them. Sighing once, the blonde stood to back his full height and placed his hands back into his pockets. His hair waved with the sudden rush upward, the spikes tilting back and forth like bamboo out on a windy day. Giving one last glance to the merchant, he moved towards the stairs. One hand came out from his pocket and inserted an earphone into his left ear, where his music immediately greeted him with its whimsical lyrics and succeeded in calming him some.

"Oh," He stopped in mid-step, one foot on top of the first stair with both his gloved hands back in his pockets. Daichi looked at the back of his jacket, wheezing tightly and straightening his ruffled collar. "One more thing. If you tell anyone about any rumor on me or of the so-called right hand of Barrel,"

Wolf turned his head to the right, and Daichi's breath hitched at the sheer chill that lay right in the blonde's eye. It was a look of someone who would't think twice about taking life. Someone who'd become nonchalant at the sight of a corpse. A flicker of insanity shined in his iris, glowing in tune with the power of oracle cells. Daichi's heart crawled into his throat as suddenly, the aragami were not the scariest things he could think of in that moment. Aragami had eyes of hunger, and of complete instinct that held little bits of underlying intelligence. It was little more than a beast that would look at you, but this...

**"I'll kill you."**

They were eyes of a ruthless murderer who was perfectly aware of his actions...and capabilities.

* * *

><p>Kota liked the tranquil temple. It was one of the places that were actually quite peaceful...aragami liberated, of course.<p>

All around him, snow blanketed the land in a sheet of frozen rain, turning the mountainous area into a paradise of frost and chilling winds. But thankfully, the place surrounding the rendezvous point was reverently peaceful, silent apart from the gentle whispers of the passing breezes. A musky scent of rotting wood mixed with the mountainous fresh air, turning it into a strange smell he couldn't quite describe. Frost would grip at his lungs every time he took a small whiff of the frost bitten atmosphere, and it made breathing deeply feel like he was inhaling needles into his body through his nostrils. Above them, the infinite accepting sky was littered by stars, twinkling and seemingly infinite. Kota vaguely wondered if that was what a sea of diamonds would look like before putting it out of mind, as quickly as the thought came.

Wolf gave him a curious look as the blonde caught his friend stare aimlessly at the sky. "Hey, Kota. You alright?"

"Huh?" Wolf watched the redhead stumble once before he seemed to register the question and say, "Yeah, I'm fine. Stars are out, tonight. Hundreds of thousands of them. I bet Nozomi would love this view. Hey, you think I can take her a picture of this place? It would make a cool postcard or something like that."

Wolf shrugged. "I dunno. But I don't think Fenrir cares all that much if you admire the scenery."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"Still," Wolf said, thoughtfully. His god arc was holstered to his back already, and he leaned on a support beam that creaked ominously with his weight. Kota tried not to think about it, but Wolf either didn't care he was about to bring the roof on their heads or if he simply didn't notice how rickety this building is. "I guess sometimes you gotta stop and look around you, right?"

"Yeah. Of course." Kota shrugged. "Otherwise, you'd forget what you were fighting for."

Wolf stared at him for a moment like Kota had suddenly grown a pair of horns on top of his beanie cap. It was an uncomfortable look that was crossed between complete shock, and of astonishment. If Kota were to be honest, Wolf looked down-right weird with that expression on his face. Of course, it only lasted for a moment before the new-type shook his head.

Wolf chuckled and Kota gave him a curious look. "What? Was it something I said?"

"No, no." Wolf smiled at the redhead, pushing himself from the beam. "Its just that...what you said was actually pretty insightful."

"Hey, I say all kinds of insightful things all the time!" Kota protested.

"Right..." Wolf grinned, coyly. Kota punched him on the shoulder.

...

"Hey, Wolf?"

"Hm?"

"What do you fight for?"

Shortly as Kota knew him, Wolf didn't come off as the guy who fought for no reason. Motives were something tricky to find out about if the person didn't directly tell you theirs. Wolf...well, Kota could just blame it on plain old curiosity.

"What do I...fight for?" Wolf echoed, somberly. His gaze looked questioning to Kota before he looked down as if the floorboards were suddenly the most interesting he could possibly think of. A vapid glint flickered between his eyes, disappearing just as quick as it came. "...I..."

Kota waited.

"...don't know."

"What?"

"Right now," His bangs covered his eyes, but a sad smile crossed his lips. With the luminescent moonlight, something about the small twitch upwards of his lips seemed haunting. "I'm fighting because I don't have a reason...and because of that, I'm not sure of which path I should take...but I can't just stand around like an idiot. Inactivity is a fatal flaw. Believe it or not, you taught me that, Kota."

Kota grinned. "So...you fight to find a reason to fight?"

"I never real thought of it that way." Wolf laughed. "But, I guess I do."

"Well," Kota said. "if you find one, let me know."

Wolf smiled at him. "Sure."

_For a while, I didn't know just what I was fighting for. One person can only do so much against the world until he breaks. But standing there, thinking about the times I've shared with the people I've made connections with...I felt resolve for the first time in a long while; that's why I promised to protect, even if it's just a handful, the ones I cherish the most.  
><em>

_**I failed that promise.**  
><em>


	7. Monster

**Booyah! Who says you can't solo the Vajra when you're still a noob! 'Cuz you haven't met me!**

**It took 20 restore pills, 2 snare traps, 5 glowing balls of health and a respawn but I did it...**

**Don't judge me!**

**Also, here's Wolf's bio. Forgot to write it, I just realized!**

**Name: Wolf Arashi**

**Age: 17**

**Hair Style: 5**

**Hair Color: 4**

**Face: 4**

**Skin: 1**

**Clothes: Petunia Jacket/ Panther Punk Shirt**

**Assault Pants: Black**

**Voice: 15**

**He's based on someone. You'll probably know but a virtual cookie on who can guess.**

**And here's the story.**

* * *

><p><em>My youngest son came home today<br>His friends marched with him all the way  
>The fife and drum beat out the time<br>While in his box of polished pine  
>Like dead meat on a butcher's tray<br>My youngest son same home today_

_-My Youngest Son Came Home Today by Eric Boggle_

"Incoming!" Lindow shouted at them, warning them right before a full sized Gboro-Gboro broke the nearby pool of water's serenity in a flurry of wild trashing. Sakuya immediately opened fire, salvos of red hot lasers flying straight to meet their intended target.

"Rookie," Wolf turned to the commander. "think you can keep up?"

Lindow let out an easy laugh in spite of the fact that there was a two ton mutated fish barreling straight for them. Wolf rolled his eyes and flung himself to the left, just as the Gboro-Gboro charged past where he just was. His god arc rested easily in his hands, and Wolf was thankful for the comforting weight of the weapon by his side. Gripping it tighter, the sword trained blonde charged at the aragami. His blade was tucked in, close to his side, and Wolf made sure to keep himself low to the ground as to make sure he wasn't a big target. In front of him, the Gboro-Gboro fired a ball of condensed mucky water from its horn at Sakuya, and the medic easily dodge-rolled away from it with practiced grace and instinct. Lindow stabbed it at its exposed side, wrenching it away and jumping back just as the aragami turned and tried to give the first unit leader the fin rendition of a bitch slap.

Wolf dashed in from behind, hacking at the tail fin with a rigid expression. It turned and swatted away at him, and the rookie brought up his shield to meet the dreadful fin. It impacted with a loud, dull ring of flesh on steel; Wolf felt his arms turn into jell-O with the force. His feet were planted firmly to the ground, but the brute strength was able to make him skid back a good meter before his soles finally succeeded in halting him. But the onslaught continued; the Gboro-Gboro let out a bellow, a strange sound that started like a jump-started engine of a car and ended with the release of an ear shattering roar. Even while alert, the rookie was barely able to believe when the aragami jumped and bared his fangs to devour him in one bite. Scowling, the blonde rolled to his side instead of blocking, knowing if he tried the latter, the god would squash him and his god arc under its belly.

"Wolf," Lindow shouted. "get the horn! Its sensitive to a Gboro-Gboro."

Wolf nodded. "Got i- woah!" Rudely, the Gboro- Gboro fired a trio of condensed bullets at him. Wolf barely had the time to avoid the non-too friendly looking water balls, each of which was twice his size. Aggravated, the blonde dashed in and swiped at the aragami's head.

"Don't interrupt me!" With a satisfying _schluck_, the Gboro-Gboro's horn was completely severed; the fragment collapsed unto the ground, turning into a gelatinous liquid and dissolving into the earth as the Gboro-Gboro trashed in pain and anger at the loss of its body part. Sakuya had to take cover behind a building as, in a fit of rage, the aragami sent wild, uncontrolled condensed bursts of water at its surroundings. More often than not, it hit something like a building and exploded with a liquid splash, but Lindow and Wolf had to scramble around, avoiding the ones that nearly hit them. Soon enough, the battlefield was flooded with puddles like a passing storm had come through, and Lindow was felt his patience dimming away.

Wolf suddenly charged in, holding the blade in his hands in front with the flat in front like a shield. He charged swiftly at the flank with a silence that put Lindow's stealth abilities to shame. However, the Gboro-Gboro turned just as he was about to make impact and swatted him away, the god arc taking most of the damage. Wolf went sailing, hit into the air like a perfect homerunner in a baseball game, travelling at high speeds and disoriented, until a wet splash echoed, and he was suddenly swimming in a pool of green liquid at the site of the ruined energy plant.

Sakuya swore under her breath, but had to turn back her attention to the berserk crocodile monster. Lindow dueled the beast, holding his own, easily against the aragami. It was nothing for him, Sakuya knew that. He had taken down much stronger aragami by himself and had come out without a scratch but he wasn't the problem. Instead, it was because Wolf hadn't even so much as broken the surface of the water to take a gasp of air. Sakuya didn't know if he was knocked out, unable to swim or something just as bad.

Lindow grit his teeth. "Sakuya! Check on him!"

"Roger."

Ducking under a stray water ball, the medic sniper ran to where the rookie had taken a magnificent swan dive into greasy water. She turned a cautious look to Lindow, where the commander was still making sashimi out of a very angry aragami. Crushing the ounce of worry that had risen up, Sakuya focused on the task at hand: finding the rookie.

Her eyes scanned the top of the now still surface of the water, not one sign that Wolf had actually been hit into the murky pool. Sakuya desperately looked around, yet after minutes passed, she simply couldn't keep looking when the Gboro-Gboro then suddenly charged at her.

In the ensuing battle, no one noticed a black clad figure slink out of the water before sneaking away from the scene.

**XxXxX**

"You're late." An irritated tone sounded scathingly bored.

"Sorry, sorry." Despite the words, the newcomer jogged forward without a single actual sign of apology on his stoned faced.

"Whatever. Really, spiky. Haven't you learned your lesson with all the times you were late?" Her words, because the voice was definitely pitches higher than a male, were both scolding and playful; a deadly warning considering just who and what the person could do with the gun by her side. Wolf fought down the shiver at the memories and succeeded, albeit barely as his hand nearly went to his god arc in precaution but the woman eased him with a laugh before he could actually take it out. "Just kidding, brat."

Wolf sighed. "Sometimes, you come off as a psychotic bitch."

"And sometimes," the woman growled out, her trigger finger dangerously twitching to the safety on her gun. "you're a real annoyance to keep around, Wolf."

"Hey, you ain't got a choice." Wolf shrugged. "I'm the one Eden picked. Don't know why though. Old man was bat-shit crazy."

"No objections on that part." A roll of the eyes was plainly visible on the woman's face, though a dry smirk crawled up on her lips before disappearing just as quickly. She turned back to Wolf with a schooled expression and the blonde himself turned serious. "Anything new?"

"Nothing much." Wolf replied. "Aegis project this, and Aegis project that. Your contacts probably found out about that months before if the director handed me the information so casually."

"Good guess." She rolled her eyes. "You should know, something's up with that."

"Aegis?"

"Not just Aegis." She shook her head. "I've had reports of strange transfers to the Den, apart from construction materials. Cores, oracle cells and a lot of both. I know the place needs some of that crap to situate an aragami fence but the amount being exported from Europe and Russia alone could circle the whole ghettos thrice over. What the hell are they doing with all that crap?"

"Johannes is a very thorough director." Wolf clicked his tongue, distastefully. "It makes gathering information harder but if I had to take a gander, I'd say he's using it for a side project. Not even Aegis would need that much."

"Its a probable answer, spiky but nothing is that simple. Johannes...from what I've heard about that guy, well, he's absolutely ruthless in his path. He could send a pack of kids to go fight an Ouroborous and he wouldn't even blink. Wolf, be careful he doesn't find out about your snooping. I'd rather not have to ask your sister if she wants the ashes from your cremation after there was a 'mishap' in the mission details."

Wolf sighed. "I know, Yuka." He glanced at the bar owner and his former boss. "Don't worry. You drilled the damn principles in my head everyday. I won't forget them anytime soon."

"Make sure you never do."

"Jeez," Wolf rolled his eyes. "you're the last person I thought I'd hear turn into a nanny."

Yuka chuckled. "I'm not good with brats, brat."

"Whatever." A loud roar rang clearly from the other side of the area, and Wolf frowned at the direction. "Gotta go. I've 'drowned' long enough."

"'Course you do." Yuka turned away, strapping a M4A1 light assault rifle unto her back with a practiced familiarity to firearms rarely seen in soldiers, much less normal civilians but Yuka wasn't normal by any way. She gave one last wave to Wolf while walking away, the blonde hearing her light footsteps fade slowly. He heaved a sigh and started on his trek back to the battlefield. Yuka shouted, "Make sure to come back to the bar, sometime, eh? You're a brat but I'd be lying if I said you weren't able to worm your way into the place."

Wolf felt the corners of his lips kick upwards in a small smirk. "You just want me to work for free for a day, don't you?"

Yuka laughed loudly. "Getting better at seeing real intentions, Wolf." She gave him a small smile. "I'll see you later, spiky; don't die. You're annoying but you're a good kid."

Wolf scoffed and walked in the opposite direction. Both of them never looked back.

"I'm not a kid." Wolf muttered, retrieving his god arc from the magnetic scabbard and looking at the hazy reflection of himself on the blade. His hair was still wet from his swim and had turned into a forest of bangs that draped lazily over his forehead like a curtain from a theater. His lips were once again set in a straight, grim line, solidifying his apathy to everything around him. His eyes shined with a yellow hue for a moment before reverting to their normal sky blue tranquility but in them was an underlying weariness that seemed both wrong and right for the teen. "I was never a kid."

**XxXxX**

Soma yawned.

Around him, the world was set in a dreary sunset, an equilibrium of darkness and light. A pink and orange sky decorated the moment with a myriad of colors in between. A sleepy sun peeked over the horizon with an aura of lisght that draped over its yellow form, reflecting off the sea and turning the waters of the coast into an orange mirror. A destroyed ship, one that was wrecked, broken and crashed into the ruins of a port side bridge since times long past, creaked softly in its resting spot. Whatever paint it had was overcome with both rust and smudges of dirt, along with the occasional hole that was no doubt caused by an would never again sail, yet the tail of the large freight still dipped into the water as if it wished to once more set out to sea.

Soma cared little for scenery.

It was best to watch where the path you were walking took you to, lest you miss the aragami hiding in the shadows of a corner, lurking and waiting to take a very literal piece of you into its mouth. If you showed so much as a shred of hesitation in this world, you would be subjected to a very painful wake up call, usually by someone dying. You, him or the guy next door, it didn't matter. Someone would die. Plain, simple and very much plausible.

So how in the world...

"Hey, this looks cool!"

-did this pink headed ditz stay so cheerful?

Kanon Daiba, quite possibly the most horrible shot of all time, gave him the cheekiest grin he had ever seen. In her hand, the pinkette held a katana that looked like it had gone through hell and back. It was probably left there, years ago when the aragami outbreak started, and the blade now looked quite dirty, smudged so much that the metal was starting to turn yellow. Soma wondered exactly why the medic thought it was cool when the damn thing was chipped into a dull edge and soaked in what looked suspiciously like dried blood.

"Drop it." Soma growled in annoyance. He was quite in a bad mood after he was dragged into a scavenging mission like this. Damn that Lindow...damn him to hell. "A stick like that won't do you any good."

Kanon pouted. "Man, you're despondent as ever, Schicksal."

"Don't call me that."

"Whatever." Kanon ignored him, holding the rusty weapon in a reverse grip with her god arc in the other hand. Soma could say, without a doubt that the bipolar girl was the weirdest female he would ever see. She could barely say a coherent sentence without stuttering in the Den. However, it was completely different when she got a god arc in her hands. She seemed to turn more...

...volatile.

It was honestly frustrating.

"Yo, sir angst." Kanon called out. "Hurry up."

Soma tried not to give her an evil eye.

He failed, spectacularly.

Kanon grinned wryly in return, and she actually started to skip onward as if the best thing in the world had happened to her. Soma sighed, setting his god arc on his shoulder and walking after the girl. Don't get him wrong, he didn't like her presence. It was just that Sakuya would give him an earful if she got hurt.

"Sunset's nice, don't you think?"

Soma scoffed. "Watch what's in front of you. Don't get sidetracked."

Kanon rolled her eyes. "You know, there's a difference between getting sidetracked and just relaxing. For one, when have you ever pulled that stick out of your ass?"

"Says the girl who has the highest misfire rates in all of Fenrir." Soma muttered.

"I heard that."

"You were supposed to."

Kanon rolled her eyes. "You really need to stop being so high-strung. you'll develop wrinkles on that pretty boy face of yours."

"Shut it, pinky."

"How creative." Kanon smirked. "When was the last time you took a vacation?"

"Why do you care?"

"Don't you have someone to visit once in a while? You know, a special person or something like that."

"No...I grew up in the Den."

"Well, that's not good."

"It doesn't matter."

Kanon made a contemplative noise. "I guess it may not look like much at first. Lying around looks rather lax...but...er...um..." She scratched the back of her head and Soma ducked as a sword grazed past the top of his hood. He glared at the oblivious pinkette who nearly gave him a haircut starting at the neck area. "...you sometimes need a reminder of why you fight."

"Why I...fight?" Soma quirked an eyebrow. "Do I need a reason to fight?"

"Well...no. Some people fight because they just want to...but my mother always said a person gets stronger if there's a good reason that they do what they do. Kinda like incentive."

"Incentive?"

Kanon nodded.

A reason to fight?

Soma, for as long as he could remember, had simply fought because it was all he could do. He had been trained by Fenrir ever since he could walk. He was designed to be the perfect soldier, the perfect weapon. His bastard of parents had no qualms about using their own child for experimentation, and Soma absolutely despised being thought of as nothing more than a pet project.

In a world like this, where aragami were scorned, the gods eaters were nothing more than monsters with a chain on their necks to the civilians of the ghettos, and soon enough, only a gods eater could comfort another gods eater. All of them became more than just comrades. All of them became a family, no matter how cheesy it sounds. But him? Wherever he went, the eyes of malice, hate and fear would look at him with a dark apprehension that made him think more than once that he was some sort of abomination. It didn't matter where he went. Gods eaters called him a reaper and the civies called him worse.

_Can you believe it? He needed eight stitches for that cut but the wound was healed by the next day! He can't be human!_

He never wanted this power.

_Hey! Hey! Mister, the doctor told me your mother died! Because of you!_

He never wanted his mother to give her life for him.

_You were born to rid the world of all aragami! Listen to me, exterminate them all!_

_**Why do you fight?**_

"Dammit!"

Kanon squeaked. "W-what the hell?"

Soma said nothing and brushed past her without even a glance to the medic. Kanon looked at the back of the albino with a worried gaze. Her hand went up before she could stop it, and Soma was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"H-hey," Kanon stuttered. She wasn't good with comforting words but maybe Wolf's philosophical views rubbed off on her a little. "Soma...you know, Kota, Lindow, Sakuya...Wolf...all of them have heard the rumors right? About the stuff of you being some sort of shinigami?"

"What about it?"

"I...I just want you to know that...er...they don't believe any of that. Not one of them. Neither does Tatsumi, Gina, Shun, Brendan or anyone I know, personally. Neither do I. We all think its nothing but bull. Even if you're an asshole sometimes...you can talk to us. 'Kay?"

Soma didn't say anything. He didn't glance back. He didn't make any sound apart from breathing when he shrugged off the hand and walked away.

**XxXxX**

"You're late." Wolf said, impatiently. His arms were crossed and his boot was tapping the ground anxiously. Kanon gave him a sheepish smile.

"Sorry." She muttered. "I had a late mission and...why do you smell like electricity?"

"I fell into that weird pool in the Sunken Grid." Wolf scowled at the reminder. "I can't believe I still smell like this after I took god knows how many baths."

Kanon giggled. "So, are you ready?"

Wolf nodded. "Yeah. I got permission for a three day leave."

"Okay!" Smiling brightly, the pinkette clapped her hands together. "Mom says they're expecting you. So, we'll be having dinner there. Oh, and be careful of the twins. Both of 'em are cute and all but they'll pick your pockets if you give 'em a chance. Little kleptomaniacs, the pair of them."_  
><em>

"Don't worry." Wolf dissuaded her concern. "I've had...plenty of experience with mischievous siblings."

Saya was a rambunctious sibling...probably the most attention deficient, hyper active human alive on the planet. In short, she was Wolf's complete opposite. He didn't know whether or not she thought of it that way but if she did, it didn't stop her from adoring him and vice versa.

"Well," Kanon giggled. "maybe you can help me." She reached into the little pouch that laid on her side. Her hand delved into it and came out moments later with a piece of paper.

Wolf assumed it was a photo, judging by how the light was caught by its reflective sheen. Kanon smiled at it before she gave it to him and Wolf saw the first sight of her family.

In the middle stood a pale skinned woman that looked to be in her middle thirties. Red hair draped her shoulders and ended just at her waist. Her front was covered by an emerald colored apron, and Wolf noticed the many stitches that was sewed into it. It was most likely frequently used. Kind blue eyes that were somewhat wizened through the years glinted, reminding him vaguely of Kanon. Her lips were set in a gentle smile at the children surrounding her: Kanon, one red haired girl, a red haired boy that must have been the twin, a five year old boy and another girl, this one looking a little less older than Kanon.

Wolf felt a pang of jealousy. It was small but it was still there. Jealousy at the fact that Kanon still had so many people she cherished. Jealousy at the fact that all of them looked so...happy. Would he ever feel the tender embrace of his mother? Would he ever spend a laugh with his sibling, once more? Perhaps it was because of these questions and uncertainties that he felt an urge to make a sorry excuse and bail on the pinkette. With a start, he realized just how shallow that sounded.

He squashed the feeling like a grape.

"Your family?"

Kanon nodded. "Mom's the one in the center but you probably know that."

Wolf raised his hand like he was in middle school.

"I got the pink from my grandmother."

Wolf let his hand drop.

"You see these two?" She pointed to the twins circling their feet both with a smile that made Wolf think they couldn't be trusted with shaving cream nor sharp objects. "Nami and Nagi. Both of 'em are eight." She pointed to the girl first then to the boy. "Mom named them after these two Shinto gods: Izanami and Izanagi."

Nami wore a light pink dress that was strapped to her shoulder by a lace that reached from the front to the back. Her skirt dangled loosely from below the knees, giving her a childish appearance that befitted her age. However, the spark of mischief that was captured by the camera unnerved Wolf and he had to remind himself to be more vigilant with his belongings. Nami's light red hair was tucked into a loose ponytail, held up by a dark brown scrunchie.

Nagi looked just like his twin, albeit more male and with less hair. A white shirt that was a bit too big for him was smudged with bits and pieces of dirt. Black shorts coupled with slippers completed the look that seemed to say 'kid and proud of it'. Like his sister, the glint was present in his iris as well, the one that would make school teacher scream 'no!' then plop him on the front row. His red hair was cropped into a neat barber's cut that came short of his neck and his hands were clutched together with his sister's in the photo.

Both of them looked innocent despite their mischievous streak.

"Don't...give them any candy." Kanon said.

Wolf chuckled.

"I'm serious."

...

"Well, this is Dune." She pointed to the small boy that was perched on her shoulder in the picture. He seemed like the average shy infant, what with how he seemed to be hiding from the camera. His chubby fingers were wrapped tightly around his older sister's head, like he was afraid she'd suddenly disappear. His feet were bare so that was probably why Kanon was carrying him in the first place but he wore brown shorts and a yellow tee-shirt that had the words 'KID LOVE' printed in red, bold letters across the chest. His hair wasn't exactly red, nor was it pink. It seemed like a cross of both where the colors met on some middle ground. Wolf didn't know if it had a name and he didn't particularly care enough to read a book on it.

"He turned six a month ago." Kanon frowned. "I wasn't there for the party..."

"We'll pick out a present before we go." Wolf said.

Kanon blinked and looked at him. Wolf was still busy observing the picture and didn't pay notice. Kanon smiled at the blonde, despite the nonchalance his tone had suggested.

"It's a bit late but a birthday only comes around once a year."

"...We shouldn't. Buy a present, I mean."

"What?" Wolf quirked an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Well," Kanon fiddled with her fingers, nervously. "it's not that we shouldn't. It's just that it'll be a bit hard to find a store."

"What are you talking about? A lot of stores are open at this hour."

"Yeah, but..."

"But?"

"Nothing."

Wolf looked strangely at the girl

"Wolf," Kanon interrupted. He assumed it was probably something to get it off-topic.

"Hm?"

"When's your birthday anyway?"

"...December twenty-five."

Kanon giggled. "Christmas?"

Wolf nodded and turned to her. "Why?"

"Nothing...it's kinda cute."

"How is it cute?"

"I don't know...it just is."

Wolf frowned but Kanon thought it looked as close to a pout as Wolf would ever make and laughed.

Slightly amused, the new-type shook his head and pointed to the other girl, the one with neon pink hair like Kanon's. Judging by the height, she was the medic's younger sister.

"Oh, that's Kotomi, my younger sister." Kanon informed, and Wolf saw her smile falter momentarily. "She's a gods eater."

Strange. Wolf hadn't seen any person that looked like Kanon, nor had he heard of a Kotomi anywhere in the Den.

"...Is she...?" Wolf trailed off.

"Oh, no! She's fine! She just got transferred to Fenrir HQ." Kanon assured him. "It's just that...she hasn't been keeping in touch. I'm only sure she's alive because Fenrir would have sent a letter otherwise. Still, I'm a bit worried. She's my sister, after all."

"Your sister..." Wolf trailed off.

_I'll be there...whenever you need help._

Wolf bit down the guilt of the memory, and kept his stride.

**XxXxX**

"Where's your house?" Wolf asked. He turned to Kanon, the pinkette facing him at the same time.

"It's near the aragami fence." Kanon said. "My mom said my grandfather was a farmer and when the aragami outbreak started, they moved here to get away. We were lucky when Fenrir decided to build the Den here and they included us in the perimeter of the aragami fence."

"How come I've never heard of it?" Most of the city was layered with apartments. Very few houses actually were built in the ghettos, Fenrir having disposed quality for quantity of lodgings. Of course, they had no choice in that regard or the Den would be consequently bigger and that much harder to defend.

"It's at the big forest. You know, the one Fenrir included?"

"I thought they included that place because of the mineral reserves in there?"

"Oh, they did. My grandfather owned that plot of land and he exchanged its deed with Fenrir for their protection."

"Who was your grandfather?"

"Ouma Daiba."

"Huh..."

"What's wrong?"

"I could have sworn I've heard that name before." Wolf frowned and crossed his arms.

"How? My grandfather's been dead for two decades. I doubt anybody talks about him anymore."

"Maybe his name just sounds like someone I know."

"Maybe." Kanon shrugged.

"Are we gonna take a transport?"

One more thing about the place-

Due to the sheer size of the ghettos, the place demanded for a well thought-out transportation method for civilians. With the lack of any distributors of cars or companies that could actually sell a half-decent automobile, Fenrir had been forced to grant the ghettos with numerous vehicles to be used only for transportation or evacuation of a sector, in case of an aragami breach. For another reason, because of the many civilians and refugees that had gathered into the place seeking shelter, the ghettos had expanded into quite the semi-metropolis and was soon too big and too taxing to simply walk through on foot. Fenrir had therefore spared some salvaged military vehicles, i.e army jeeps, as public transportation. However, the jeeps also had to be configured to run on electricity or other alternative fuel, as humans have finally learned that global warming was not at all pleasant. It also lead to the fee for such a transport to increase. Not enough to make the civilians cry out in outrage but enough that one would think about using it sparingly.

If Wolf remembered right, the big forest was near the edge of the western wall. It wasn't too far off that they had to absolutely use a jeep but it would still be a long walk if they decided to go off on foot.

"I could use some exercise. I spent a whole thirty minutes riding in a cramped helicopter with no one but Soma to talk to. What about you?" Kanon asked, tentatively.

Wolf nodded, wordlessly. Kanon grabbed his hand and lead him across the path, despite the fact he was perfectly capable of navigating the place himself. Well, whatever. Holding hands was something couples did, right?

"Hey, Wolf."

"Hm?"

"It's your first time coming out of the Den, right?"

"Yeah." Wolf lied.

It wasn't his first time coming out of the Den. But the fact that he was there on not exactly permitted grounds was something that 'accidentally' slipped his mind. Kanon didn't have to know of the time he stole all those medical supplies...or the time when he raided the food rations...or the time when- okay, I think you get it.

"Ignore them." Kanon said.

Wolf quirked an eyebrow, confused on exactly who the pinkette was talking about. Kanon averted her gaze to the ground like she was making sure her feet were still there.

"Ignore...what?"

"You'll see."

Silence.

Kanon seemed to have completely shut off in that short amount of time. Wolf looked worriedly over at her, and would think to ask what was wrong. In reply, Kanon would smile reluctantly like doing so pained her, and just squeeze his hand, reassuringly. It was strange to the blonde. What was he supposed to do in this situation? Pry and risk the medic's annoyance or keep silent and risk the pinkette's sadness. Either way, the new-type didn't like the product of the equation.

Suddenly, the girl stopped in her tracks. Wolf once again looked curious on her reason.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm...fine."

"You don't look like it."

"I told you I'm fine." Kanon rolled her eyes.

Wolf sighed. "Listen, I dealt with crap like this for years with Saya. One thing I learned is that in situations like these," Wolf cupped her cheeks and looked her in the eye, his brow furrowed despite his otherwise nonchalant expression. Kanon's cheeks blushed slightly red, her hands grasping onto his wrists and her eyes widened in surprise but Wolf paid no attention to it as he continued. "you're not fine."

Now, he just hoped he didn't get slapped for doing that.

Kanon pried away his arms, though she did so gently when he slackened them enough. A small chuckle escaped the pinkette's lips, and a shaky smile adorned her face for the moment. "You'll see. You just have to listen long enough."

Listen?

Whispers. Wolf could hear them now, thanks to his oracle enhanced senses. Were they always there? He must have been more preoccupied on Kanon than he thought.

_"Monsters..."_

A man glared, seething at them.

_"Papa, mama, who are those people?"_

_"Stay away from them, Rin."_

A family wandered off, the parents leading their daughter away while giving them glares of suspicion like he would suddenly throw a knife at their backs.

"Are_ they really supposed to be here?"  
><em>

_"I know. I can't believe those kids are nothing more than weapons!"  
><em>

_"I heard a rumor that anyone of them could turn into an aragami just like that! No wonder if they're so hyped up on aragami parts. All of 'em are nothing but time bombs! Why does Fenrir let them wander around like that? What if they turn right here?"  
><em>

_"Stop talking! It's seriously scary."_

A band of schoolgirls gossiped while seated around a table, and Wolf glared at them when their stares turned to them. All of the five stiffened and hurriedly turned away.

"Let's go." Kanon pulled his arm, and he followed her, but not before giving all of the people in the street a scowl.

"Don't mind them too much." She said. "It's normal and you should get used to it."

"Was this why you didn't want to get a present?"

Kanon nodded. "Not many people sell to us."

"Gods eaters are scorned this much?"

"Not just gods eaters. If you have any affiliation with Fenrir, you won't be very well liked." Kanon smirked, teasingly at him. "You didn't know?"

"I did." Wolf affirmed. "I just didn't think it was this...extreme."

"Yeah, well neither did I." Shrugging, the pinkette walked forward with her hands behind her back. "I guess you don't know how hard it is until you get a dose of it."

**XxXxX**

"You know, some might call this stalking."

"It's not stalking."

"You say that, but you're literally watching the guy's every move without his knowledge."

"It's not of my own accord. If the head demands it, then it is an order I must obey."

"Ho?" A mocking tone shifted into the shadow's voice. "Are you sure it isn't because of some curiosity on your part, director? After all, apart from your son, he and his sister were the only ones who actually survived the experiments."

"I admit," Another said. "I am curious but I would have other things to worry about. My project requires nearly all of my dedication."

"Well, whatever. But I gotta say, the pink headed one looks a lot like Saya. Almost scary. I could pass them off as twins with a bit of luck."

"Lieutenant Shiba, shouldn't you have other important matters to attend to?"

"Hmm...nah. Kotomi can take care of things while I'm away. Besides," A glint flickered across the young man's eyes. A harsh glint that promised was laid with nothing more than sheer primal instinct to fight, to survive, to **kill**. "I'm wondering what kind of guy the harbringer is."

"Is that what they're calling him now?"

"It's what the old man upstairs nicknamed him, yeah."

"Are you and your team suited?"

"Not yet." Shiba shrugged and blew some of his black bangs away from his eyes. "You know, things like this take time. When a human gets loaded with oracle cells, it's a hundred times harder to extract everything."

"Well, he's not a human now, is he?"

"Oh, please. You and I know he's human, at least for now. His mutation hasn't spread too far, just yet."

"Well, what will you do?"

"For now?" A sneer crept up on the officer's face. "Just watch the lovebirds."

It was so much fun to see the hopelessness settle in another's eyes. All that misery, anguish and pain...Shiba shivered. Well, if the blonde down there didn't give him enough satisfaction with his pain, maybe the pink haired ditz would volunteer her own sorrow.

Hope Shiba was a very giddy boy.

**XxXxX**

"We shouldn't go through there." Wolf said, firmly. Kanon paused in her stride and gave him a once over.

"Don't worry." She reassured him.

"It's the worst place in the ghettos."

"We'll be fine."

"You want to risk it?"

"I've passed it plenty of times by myself. I haven't been mugged, raped, abducted or whatever."

"Criminals are everywhere in there."

"An armlet keeps them back, don't worry."

"Maybe for you." Wolf muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

Sector 6.

A.K.A the Hell Pit.

It was known as the bottom of the whole ghettos. Criminals flocked there, and policemen avoided the place like a plague. If you took a stroll in the streets, then bring a weapon, bandages and a shit load of back-up because no way you're getting out of there without having a bit of a stand off with other gangs. It didn't matter if the world ended, people would still be people. If there was any proof, sector six would come out as the best or should I say worst example.

Wolf had lived in that hellhole long enough to know that sometimes, rumors weren't misplaced.

He had also made a fair number of enemies...enemies that were of the 'kill you then piss on your dead body' sort. Some of them were gang leaders, others were small-time criminals, and all of them were scum he wouldn't trust with a sharpened pencil.

"Let's just take another route."

"Oh, Wolf stop being a baby."

"A little detour won't cost too much time."

"I don't care! I haven't seen my family face-to-face in months!" Kanon grabbed his collar and pulled him until they were face-to-face. Wolf gulped. "Now, get your sorry arse moving or I will beat you with a stick!"

"..."

Dear planet, he forgot that Kanon was scary when she wanted something.

Wolf, with growing apprehension, resigned to his fate and moved on with Kanon. All he could hope for was they wouldn't get into any trou-

"Well, well."

'Ah, fuck me.' Wolf cursed. He knew that voice. Gruff, rude and nothing short of arrogance.

"Didn't think I'd see you again, Arashi. I thought I was finally rid of you when Fenrir took you in as a dog."

A large, bald man, easily seven feet tall and much bigger than Kanon or Wolf, sneered at them with unveiled dislike like they were bugs instead of people. His black eye, since his left was shut permanently by whatever gave him that scar on his face, seemed to leer at them. Wolf returned the glare with a weary sigh and a look of complete nonchalance that served to act as even more of irritation to the bulky man in front. Kanon unconsciously moved behind Wolf and tightened the grip around their hands.

"Whaddaya want, Owen?"

Owen frowned. "Hey, now. Don't take that rude tone on me, boy. Especially when you ain't exactly on my good side."

Wolf scoffed. "Really? I thought you'd have more sense by now. Still trying the old tactics of intimidation? Forget about it. A one eyed glare isn't exactly frightening."

"Not to you, maybe." Owen smirked. "But the cute one behind you looks pretty meek, right now. I wonder if Fenrir would let me...borrow her."

For once, Wolf scowled and he got in front of the medic. "I'd advise against it. You still remember the time with Saya? How's the eye?"

Kanon didn't know if it was wise to invoke a hostile reaction from the man but considering the chances that they were getting out without a fight, she cared little for it now. Her eyes darted to the side where she made careful note of the number of people hiding there. She probably wouldn't have seen them herself if the oracle cells weren't helping her perception. Some of them were playing with something that glinted with a harsh light in their hands. Knives, she discerned.

"Okay, maybe we should have taken that detour."

"Sorry for the trouble." Wolf whispered back. Kanon sighed.

Owen seemed to have waited long enough and snapped his fingers once. From the corners of the area, men and women of various levels of lack of hygiene slunk out. A lot of them wore quite the disgusting sneers that would've given a five year old mental trauma, if only for the fact that most of their teeth, if they had any, were yellow or black.

"Hey," Wolf nudged Kanon. "Hand me those pipes."

"Huh?"

Pointing to the side without looking, the blonde gave her an instruction. Kanon moved down and grabbed the rusty pipes that were, no doubt left behind by some idiotic schmuck who had inadvertently, helped them out. Wolf would rather have something sharp in his hands but the pipes were fine for now. All of these were second hand thugs, anyway.

Owen shouted, "All of you, leave the girl as unharmed as possible. It's been a while since fresh meat's come down, and it's rare to see that hair color. For him," He pointed at Wolf with a greasy finger. "well, go ahead and beat him up. If you can, bring him to me alive so he can watch me have some fun with the chick."

Kanon gripped the blonde's hand tighter. "Come and try, you overgrown prick!"

Wolf smiled slightly at her insult, "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

She nodded and watched as the ensuing brawl started with a battle-cry from the thugs.

"Keep close." Wolf said. His hands were positioned by his side, seemingly relaxed.

A dozen or so low-lives, the blonde counted. A stab from his right was quickly parried and the thug who had thrown the blade went tumbling into the floor from his lack of technique, away from the new-type and the pinkette behind him. Another thug came at him with bare fists, and soon regretted it when Wolf lashed out with his leg and the soles of his black boots came into contact with the lowlife's nose, breaking the cartilage as easily as one might tear sopping wet paper. Wolf jumped and gave the man a kick strong enough to send him flying into a duo of attackers, knocking them back into a pile of limbs and blood. His arm dragged Kanon to the side suddenly, and the girl yelped as she was suddenly taken out of the way when another thug came from behind them. Wolf brought his other arm up and knocked the knife out of the woman's grasp before taking a swing at her rib cage and sending her back into an unconscious delirium.

Kanon yelped once more, narrowly avoiding a wild grab from another vagabond and kicking the offender right on the crotch. With a scream that was both decibels higher than normal and telling of extreme pain, the man dropped unto the floor whilst clutching his jewels. Wolf was busy somewhere off to the right, beating the ever loving shit out of any who approached with hostile intent. Kanon never forged ahead with swordsmanship but she could tell the blonde in front displayed quite the show of blade work, regardless of the fact that he had no actual swords. Whenever his right hand blocked, a quick kick or a swing from his left would knock back the attacker, opening the metaphorical window and allowing him to knock the person further into the ground. His footwork was infinitely superior to the common scum around the place, weaving and bending around strikes that came from all angles; sometimes even throwing himself forward to knee them in the gut or on the face.

However, she had no time to admire his technique as the pinkette threw another man over her hip and into a dumpster using her enhanced strength. Said man landed with a loud crack of splintered wood as he crashed straight into a fence and broke through the old wood with his spine in the lead. He was left moaning and clutching his back, pitifully. Kanon grinned innocently at the remaining thugs, all of whom backed away when they suddenly didn't think she was so cute and harmless anymore.

"Do you wanna play?" She asked, cutely tilting her little pink head to the side, yet the thieves shivered and looked about ready to tuck tail and run. "Let's play!"

It should be noted, Kanon has an inner sadist. Wolf looked to check on her and grinned. Violent, unpredictable and a good brain sprayer. Oh, how he liked this girl.

_CRASH!_

"La-lala-la-la..." Okay, the singing was a bit too much though.

Getting back to his own fight, the blonde casually ducked another a knife swipe and gave the assaulter a good bash on the bottom of his chin. He raised a pipe and pushed away a serrated knife edge from the thug he had first harmed; the man's features was angry, and his nostrils were flaring in rage. Wolf found the face amusing and then proceeded to knock the man's jaw loose with a quick swing of his left hand to the face.

A gods eater was superhuman. If they lost in hand-to-hand combat with normal idiots who could barely tell the knife's blade from its handle, then they might as well have killed themselves instead of going up against the aragami. Which is why, in a few minutes of chaos, the duo had easily dismantled most of the attackers with the others turning and fleeing the scene. In the end, only Owen was left to look at them with contempt and a deep loathing look sent to Wolf, the blonde nonchalantly flicking the twin make-shift weapons to get rid of the imaginary dust- a small habit he had developed over the years. Kanon dusted off her hands and smiled proudly over the fair number of minions she had taken down.

Owen scowled. "Useless bunch." He shrugged. "You'll have to excuse the idiots. It's so hard to find good help these days."

Wolf rolled his eyes. His hands clutched the steel rods in his palms tighter. Kanon looked warily to the large man in front, casually talking as if he hadn't just pissed off two superhumans. Usually, they'd be making excuses, running away or both, right about now. Owen looked quite comfortable, if not a bit disappointed with his men.

"Uh, Wolf? What do we do now?"

"It's up to him," Wolf gestured to Owen. "We can either beat a new craphole into his ass or we can walk away and pretend this never happened."

"Now, now. Let's not be scornful to the man holding your lives."

"I think you need to get your eyes checked." Kanon quirked. "I have some medical supplies in my bag. Sit down and we'll see if there's some sort of abnormality in your Cornea."

"Kanon, stop offering medical advice to the man who's currently trying to make a slave out of you."

"Sorry." She apologized, but she pouted and crossed her arms instead of actually looking apologetic.

"Don't worry your little, pretty pink head." Owen sneered. "I got a reason and it ain't a medical issue."

"Pray tell," Wolf replied.

Owen smirked, and reached into his vest. A harsh light danced in his sclera, and Kanon unconsciously gripped Wolf's hand. Quick as a viper, the burly man took an item out of the vest. A silver gleam caught Kanon's eyes, and Wolf's own widened. Kanon felt her arm being fiercely yanked out of the way, just as a deafening explosion rang through the twilight's momentary silence.

A bullet ripped through Wolf's shoulder.

Crashing into the ground behind a old crate, Kanon only saw the blonde when he fell right next to her, clutching his bleeding shoulder and cursing so much that she suddenly learned four new words as he muttered them angrily under his breath rather than screaming to the heavens. Both of them took cover, and Kanon tried to check Wolf as he seemingly tried to get up again.

Owen laughed. "Fuck! No wonder you guys at Fenrir confiscated all the guns! Shit like this is better than any drug I could ever get my hands on! All the firepower in such a small frame is enough to make anyone go on a shooting spree!"

"No," Wolf mumbled, and Kanon was the only one who heard him. "I'm pretty sure that's only you, ya sick bastard."

"What now?" Kanon asked, field wrapping his bullet wound with a roll of bandages she kept in her pack. A tourniquet would have to do for now. No time to take out the bullet when there was a danger of another being aimed at their heads.

"Keep your head down. I'll handle it." Wolf hissed. Getting up, the blonde dashed out into the open, holding a pipe in his hand. Owen let loose another gunshot and the new-type turned sharply to avoid getting shot in the chest. Moving forward however, made him an easier target. Owen aimed once more and shot twice at his approaching head. Wolf rolled to the side, just as the projectiles whizzed past his head.

'Four.' He counted. 'Four shots out of a .45 ACP 1911 Desert Eagle Handgun."

Another shot was fired, and Wolf felt a bullet graze his leg. It burned for a moment with a sharp pain as skin was scarred just by coming into contact with the metal but the blonde ignored it and kept on running just as Owen laughed madly.

'Five.' He counted again. 'Barrel is five inches. Front sight is broken. Accuracy isn't at all what it can be.'

Another shot.

'Six.' He counted once more. 'Extractor is creaking. It hasn't been oiled in a while. Idiot. Your rate of fire will decrease if you let the gun get so dirty.'

Wolf ran across a pole just as a bullet shot at him.

'Seven.' He counted, gritting his teeth as his lungs started to burn. 'Hammer is damn squeaky. It's annoying.'

Another shot.

'Eight.' Wolf stopped in his run, and avoided the bullet. His hand gripped the iron pipe tighter and the blonde gave a wary cry as he charged at Owen. Owen smirked and aimed the barrel at him, apparently thinking it was nothing more than desperation. Kanon nearly screamed.

_Click._

'Your magazine can only hold eight bullets.' Wolf smirked.

Wolf raised the pipe overhead and brought it down onto Owen's cranium as the thug was too petrified to even react. His skull was smashed in by the force of the swing, and shards of his bone were embedded deeply into his cerebellum, killing him instantly. His body turned limp and he collapsed just as his murderer stepped to the side and allowed him to fall on the dirt, in a pool of his own blood. Kanon ran out from her hiding place and approached him, cautiously. She gave a grimace at the sight of the crushed grey-matter that was formerly Owen's brain, now laying on the ground as an extremely disgusting stain on the dirt road, and mixing with the crimson flow of his blood. She turned away from the gore, and instead moved to Wolf's idle form, the blonde staring blankly at the corpse with a cold, disinterest.

Indifferent. Like he hadn't just taken a man's blood on his hands. Had he killed before?

Kanon didn't know, and a part of her wanted to keep it that way. However, before the internal conflict could start up, the worry over Wolf's injuries overtook the weltering in her stomach, and she hurried to him.

His shoulder was still bleeding, and from what little she saw, there was no exit wound in the back of his arm; the bullet had probably embedded itself in the bone. An injury like that wasn't too serious, not for a gods eater, but there was still a very large possibility of Wolf catching an infection if she didn't get him some antibiotics. Digging into her pack, the pinkette ran up to the blonde and took out a bottle of Hydrogen Dioxide- a kind of disinfectant.

"Let me see your wound." She nudged Wolf's uninjured shoulder. "Hey, Wolf? Are you there? Snap out of-"

A hand interrupted her. More specifically, the new-type's hand as it wrapped around her neck. Kanon dropped the medical supplies as she was hoisted up, inches above the ground. She clawed futilely at the hand around her throat, choking her and contracting around her windpipe. She tried to look at Wolf for a reason, but the new-type stared without a hint of anger, remorse or emotion at her wide-eyed facet. His golden eyes seemed to burn with a neon glow, almost like an aragami.

Golden?

Kanon, even as she panicked at the grip around her throat, did indeed see his golden iris, and grew increasingly alarmed.

"Wolf...stop...it," Dots lined her vision, and her lungs were starting to scream for air. "...can't...breathe..."

Realization seemed to dawn in the new-type's eyes, and he released the hand that very nearly broke the medic's neck. Kanon crumpled to the ground, hacking as her vision started to eliminate the darkness. Air flooded her lungs appreciatively, and the pinkette's breath was reduced to sharp gasps.

Wolf backed away, clutching his right arm. His eyes flashed gold again, and Kanon stared fearfully as a black aura seeped out of the armlet, cloaking his hand, then up to his elbow, then all the way to his shoulder. It wrapped around his jacket's sleeve, licking at his arm like an ethereal flame, yet his arm, instead of being scorched, looked perfectly fine. Wolf looked with morbid fascination as his armlet suddenly seemed to spit out the darkness, and images filled his mind. Images and sounds of lives that weren't his.

_'Goodbye, Brendan.' _A woman smiled sadly, before the life left her eyes. A flash, and everything changed.

_'I'll become a gods eater! I'll become strong enough to protect you!'_ A hand that wasn't his gripped the stranger in front of him. A voice that wasn't his swore the promise. Another flash overcame his vision, and everything was different once more._  
><em>

_'Hey, hey! I think that was a little close, Ginnie.' _A man smirked teasingly, raising his hands in surrender even with the wide grin that was on his face.

_'Don't be scared. Big sis is right here!' _He recognized the voice. It was Kanon's, yet it seemed higher, and much younger than what the current pinkette owned._  
><em>

__'Will you come back, Shun? Promise me you'll come back to this house.' __What was this? Who were these people?

His head throbbed with the information that came into his brain, each byte storing itself into his mind and showing him parts of memories that weren't his. He felt the sadness, the sorrow, the fear of all of them, of all the gods eaters. His hands clutched at his scalp, futilely trying to stop the images from flooding his mind when they reached into a level that very nearly overloaded his brain. Wolf screamed. He screamed a blood-curling cry that chilled Kanon's bones and rendered her petrified. His right arm's cloak flared, yet whatever pain his limb may have been going through was completely drowned out by the agony in his skull.

_'Maaaamaaaaa! Paaaaaapaaaaa!' _He fell to his knees at the pain of losing his parents, only this wasn't his pain.

_'Oh, god...I don't wanna die...I don't wanna die...' _Dammit...he didn't even know who the hell that girl was, but the cold dread and the sorrow that overcame him was more crippling than any injury he had ever sustained.

Kanon was beside him now, trying to calm him down. But the images wouldn't stop, all of the images of their pain. God, it was all so tormenting.

_'I'm Hibari. It's nice to meet you, O'mori-san.'_

_'Listen here, child. Know how important this is. If you fail again, I'll disown you, do you understand me?'  
><em>

_'You were born to rid the world of all aragami! Listen to me...eradicate them all!'  
><em>

_'Nii-chan- don't get yourself killed- I'll protect you- wake up, you lazy moron- promise me you'll come back safely- I'm sorry...- we'll get married when I get back- Yami!- I hate it. I hate this world!- Is there a god out there? Does he even care?- Mommy...mommy...you can't die...please...- I'll protect them. Even if it costs me my life.'_

"Stop...it." The words sneaked pass Wolf's lips. His eyes flashed from gold to blue then back to gold.

_**Wolf...wake up.**_

"Wolf!" All the agony ceased, however when the memories eased out his mind. His head throbbed with a dull pain, and the new-type registered the worried form of Kanon in front of him, clutching his shoulder and trying to snap him out of his delirium. Her blue eyes shined with the golden glow of the oracle cells, and her arms were wrapped around him. Wolf breathed in deeply, panting and gasping when his lungs were thoroughly exhausted from his screaming. Kanon watched the blonde's arm as the dark aura receded and soon, dissipated.

And the new-type fell limp, knocked unconscious from the strain his mind had went through.

**XxXxX**

**And that's it for this chapter. I've officially revised half the story now. Only seven more to go and I'll get back to writing the additional chapters and into continuing the story-line. It should only take me...around...  
><strong>

**Four months?**

**Fuck, I've got a lot of work ahead of me.**

**Anyway, do review. I need more reviews...seriously. I can't tell if the story is bad or not if you guys don't tell me. I think that's in the damn rule book on arts. Now, press the little tiny blue words that say review...**

**OR FACE MY PIE INDUCED ANGER!**


	8. Who Am I?

**I am terribly sorry for not updating. I was imprisoned by ninja monkeys...and I had to get out with my super grandmaster skills...but there were so many rabid squirrel eating wasabi jounin...but then Chuck Norris came in my head and cheered me on...and then I got a gun, shot myself in the head and started using persona...before I got trapped in a Kingdom Hearts game and had to fight off the heartless and I got a job to go kill Barney which i couldn't refuse...**

**Wolf: He was trapped in a province with no internet connection.**

**...I like my story better...**

**XxXxX**_  
><em>

**_Fear was a terrible thing to experience. It was both the greatest motivator and the most discouraging of perhaps all emotions.  
><em>**

_"Kill her."_

_His blood-caked hands trembled, and his fingers gripped the hilt of his sword harder as if trying to clasp a hand to the reality of the situation. Absentmindedly, he noted the crimson liquid painting the walls, trailing down its once snow white cover and turning it into a more grotesque design. It was everywhere. On his palms, on the floor, on his shirt, on his skin - on everything.  
><em>

_Everything except the little girl that trembled in the corner, watching him stand over the bodies of her still warm parents with an expression of pure terror. Her small hands were braced upon the walls, trying to melt into the shadows, trying to break the wall, trying to run away from the monster that had taken the appearance of a child her age._

_"Don't leave witnesses."_

_Wolf turned his eyes to the apathetic woman to his right as she regarded the bloody scene with a blase demeanor as if it were nothing but an everyday occurrence. Part of him wondered how she could be so cold, and another part of him wondered if he was going to become another one like her.  
><em>

_"Mommy...daddy...help."_

_Yuka sighed, "Do it. Hurry up or I'll kill her myself."_

_Cold blue eyes morphed to pleading, "She doesn't know anything...I can't just-"_

_"I don't care! I'm not taking a risk! Cut her head off or I'll shoot her brains out!"_

_He turned away, his hands trembling and his brows knitting together. With a painful trudge, he walked towards the petrified girl in front of him, the gleam of his blade catching her eye. His hands brought the sword above his head, his arms quivering slightly in uncertainty and muted hesitation. Wolf took every step in silent anger, in quiet agony, yet he knew that this would only delay the oncoming act by seconds.  
><em>

_His lips twisted in a grimace, and his muscles suddenly froze as his gaze met with the girl.  
><em>

_"M-monster..." She whispered, turning to him with eyes of scorn, eyes of abhorrent fire.  
><em>

_Eyes that mirrored his own._

_Wolf's grimace fell, and his face twisted back into an emotionless facade. A mask was created, born out of human skin. He swallowed heavily, and his hands tightened around the hilt of his weapon, squeezing around the pommel as if trying to shut a door to the outcome of this reality.  
><em>

_Her hair was as blue as her mother's...and h__er eyes were as red as her father's._

_The blade flashed.  
><em>

__**Nii-chan...wake up.**__

**XxXxX**__  
><em>_

Wolf snapped back into consciousness, limbs flailing as his eyes turned into gold orbs, refracting and glowing for a moment before fading back into their normal sapphire shade. His ears were deafened by the explosive sound of his own steady heartbeat as it pumped his veins with adrenaline dosed blood. Oddly, he noted the smell of wet grass, the kind that would always greet him in his last home when morning came. It was the smell of dew that led him to near panic at the unfamiliar environment.

His torso was bare, leaving the world to see the crimson bandage wrapped around his shoulder. A searing pain shot through his arm, and the blonde remembered the events that transpired yesterday. Even more alarmed, his worries immediately transferred to identifying his location, and the new-type threw himself off the bed. Another wound pulsed from the sudden movement of his limbs, and the former bartender's knees gave out from under him. Wolf made a strangled yelp in the back of his throat, and fell to the floor, his breathing ragged and uneven.

_Calm down, brother..._

_Calm down..._

_I'm right here..._

"S-Saya," He uttered lowly.

Pushing himself up, the teen soldier was able to sit down on the bedside. His face dropped into a grimace, and the blonde tried to clear the last of the haze in his head.

His shoulder felt like it had been set aflame, leaving no question that he had indeed been injured there. Blood stained bandages wrapped around his skin, and Wolf grimaced at the crimson cloth, tracing a finger on the covering. His torso was bare, and his pants had also been taken away so that the mystery doctor could treat the graze on his shin, which unfortunately, left him in his boxers.

Frowning at the lack of clothing, the blonde turned his head, trying to see if his clothes were somewhere nearby.

...

He was sorely disappointed. Wolf sighed, leaning back into the rather soft bed and trying to keep a level head.

He was obviously in Kanon's house - the forest, the chirping birds and the canopy of leaves were dead give-aways. Something told him his clothes were probably somewhere being sewn back after the rather disastrous trip here, and he thought of waiting under the covers for someone to come in. But considering it didn't look a minute past dawn, he doubted anyone else would be awake at this time. Still, he didn't want to take a risk and get caught with his pants down - pun totally intended. All he could do right now was get back under the sheets and try to get some more sleep.

"Wolf?" Slowly, the door creaked open, and a familiar pink head peeked in, "Are you awake?"

His covers were raised immediately, and he very nearly broke his waist as he twisted in it, tightening the sheets around his body so quick that in the end, he was wrapped in a cocoon of his own making. He landed on the bed, a slight blush on his cheeks and as wide eyed as Kanon had ever seen him.

All in two seconds, just so that Kanon wouldn't see him in his underwear.

...

"Yeah," He answered nonchalantly, "I'm awake."

Kanon laughed nervously, "Sorry, I guess I should have knocked..."

"It would've helped..." Wolf muttered lowly.

An awkward silence descended, stifling them and ceasing all their words. Wolf stared at the wall, and tried not to sweat too much from the uncomfortable heat under the sheets while Kanon seemed to fiddled with something in her hands before she suddenly remembered why she was here.

"Well...er..." Not meeting his eyes, the pinkette moved to a nearby table and set his repaired clothes down in a neat pile, "I'll...just leave these here. Breakfast will be ready soon...so...er...yeah."

"Um...thanks."

...

Without another word, Kanon turned to leave.

...

"Wait..." Wolf called.

"What is it?"

...

"Wolf?"

"...ou...p...me..."

"What?"

"ou...p...m..."

"Speak up, Wolf," She frowned, crossing her arms under her bossom.

Wolf scowled at her before turning his eyes away. "...Can you help me?"

"With what?"

"...I'm stuck."

He motioned to the Cocoon of bed sheets he had wrapped himself in with his hurry to hide himself from Kanon.

The medic stared,

then she blinked,

then she stared again,

then she threw her head back and laughed her ass off.

Calming down was a bit of an effort for her, but Kanon had stifled her giggles long enough to help her object of amusement to get out of the sheets with a giggle or two slipping out of her lips; Wolf's cheeks seemed to burn, and the new-type turned away just as his face twisted into a scowl, though coming from his little prison of cloth, it wasn't very threatening at the least in her eyes. It was easy enough to get him out though as one sharp tug at least gave him enough room to move his upper body out.

Of course, this also had the effect of showing his physique, and without an injury on his frame like all the other times distracting her, she was free to observe and note a good deal of his body.

Wolf didn't have large muscles, nor did anything about him seemed rock hard as some of the construction workers she'd occasionally seen working in parts of the ghettos. But that didn't mean that the new-type was a slob, instead, he looked strangely...slender.

Yes, that was strangely the right word for him. His neck was slim, perhaps as slim as hers even, but his jawline was strangely more rugged, yet it added more to his bizarre visage in a way that was pleasant. His muscle mass was slim, yet refined, leaving no question it was probably stronger than an average man's, even without the oracle cells that flowed freely through both of their veins. His biceps were smooth, without bumps of muscle in between the pale flesh that rivaled her own complexion, and those kinds of growth were gained not through a gym but through use and a large amount of it. If anything, that meant he just fought better with speed instead of durability, and so, he had become a bit feminine in his body's build by doing so.

Now that she thought about it, with a bit of make-up and clothes, Wolf could have passed himself off as a girl, though his face was slightly roughly-hewn, more so than a female would have without some weird facial product.

If she had to describe his build, she'd call it streamline.

In a way, he wasn't flamboyant. But in a way, he wasn't hot, or smoking either. Instead of that, Kanon found him beautiful.

"...You're..." She trailed off, and a blush on her cheeks started to ignite along with a contracting in her chest that she later realized was he breath stalling within her lungs. Wolf looked at her, met her eyes, then turned away with a slight red to his own face. "Er...can you wait outside?...I need to change."

Kanon nodded dumbly, then turned, and walked away, shutting the door with nearly no noise, her enhanced hearing subconsciously picking out the meek creak of her home's wooden door to the guest room.

Once outside, she leaned on the door, slid down, and placed her face within her hands, releasing a small, strangled and embarrassed cry that would've made a dog whimper.

In the guest room, Wolf stuffed his head in a pillow and screamed bloody murder into it.

**XxXxX**

In the kitchen of the semi-peaceful household of the Daiba family, a smell of burning oil, and frying meat could be easily sensed as a woman with locks of crimson, hummed, flipping the strips of bacon in the pan while her other hand rooted through the cabinets for a certain spice, finding it easily with her uncanny ability to organize (bred from having five mischievous children) and immediately peppered the pan with it.

Her humming stopped as she left the pan to simmer for a few moments, going over and checking how the rice was coming along in the steam cooker. She nodded approvingly at the milky white grains, hot steam wafting over the air as she opened the pot. Going back to the stove, she checked over the bacon, seeing their rich shade and taking it out and laying it in another plate without spilling a single drop of oil on the wooden floorboards, and placed it on the table, beside the other side dishes.

Nana Daiba smiled widely, acknowledging that breakfast was ready. She made her way to the living room where the stairs leading to the bedrooms of her offspring would be.

"Everyone," She shouted in a voice that was easily audible from anywhere in the household, "Breakfast is ready! Kanon, make sure to check on your friend! He might be up already!"

With that, she turned away, heading back to the kitchen. With practiced patience, she turned to the open window and waited for the rowdy steps that would alert her to the coming of her children as they bickered and raced to the table with a predatory glint in their eyes.

_thump_

_thump_

Light footsteps? Her children were never that quiet, yet this pair sounded as if it was cautious not to make a sound, failing only because of the hollow floorboards. She turned again and was met face-to-face by a fully clothed boy as he surveyed the room, quiet as a wraith, and cautiously curious like a child, yet she had a feeling that it wasn't because of timidity.

"Oh," Nana smiled, welcoming, "You're awake."

Wolf Arashi was a strange boy if she'd ever seen one.

Blonde, spiky hair as well as the lithe frame that would almost have fooled her into thinking he was malnourished if not for the muscle she'd seen when she bandaged his unconscious self. Not to mention his apparent apathetic features. He was far more...cold than others his age, and part of her wondered what could possibly turn a child as young as one of her own so vapid in act.

She'd been thoroughly shocked when her eldest came, dragging the dead weight of his body around the place. A bullet wound was actually a rare wound these days, thanks to several laws enacted by Fenrir concerning gun ownership, most of which made it impossible to hold a gun without some affiliation with the higher ups of the corporation's help. Still, the wound wasn't that bad, and she'd patched him up quite nicely, and since he still wasn't in bed, writhing in pain, the treatment worked well.

But the truth was, that wasn't the only reason she was shocked.

"...Un," Wolf nodded, "...I...um...thank you...for letting me in your home."

Nana smiled.

"I never thought I'd see you again, Wolf."

"Hm?" Wolf quirked an eyebrow. "H-have we...met before?"

"I suppose it would be hard for you to remember. You were busy running away when I got a glimpse of you."

Wolf remained silent, yet his face flickered with confusion as his lips were set into a thin line that could almost be called a grimace.

"It was...five years ago, I think," Nana sat down, easing herself down to the chair with a simple grace that must have come from doing the same thing over and over. "I wasn't able to thank you...then again, I never got the chance. I never knew your name until yesterday, when Kanon brought you here and told it to me."

"Five years ago?" Wolf asked, "...I don't under-"

"Mooom!" A childish wail interrupted them. "Nagi's pulling my hair! Make him stop!"

"Knock it off, you two!" A voice recognizable as Kanon was heard, followed with a resounding slap.

"Ow!" Another wail rang, "Moooom! Nee-chan hit me!"

Nana sighed, and Wolf felt a bit of admiration that the woman could live with children as unkempt as them.

"Well, please make yourself at home." Nana smiled, "And as her first partner in a relationship, take care of Kanon for me, will you?"

A dangerous glint flickered in Nana's blue eyes.

"Otherwise..." Quick as a viper, the peaceful woman threw a knife at the table, missing inches from cutting off his index finger and embedding itself between the space of his digits. Wolf looked nervously at the kitchen utensil before nodding wordlessly to the sweet smiling mother of the household.

"Y-yes, ma'am." Wolf meekly replied.

**XxXxX**

Silent.

Fast.

Efficient.

All of those adjectives were required if you were ever gonna become a half-decent gods eater; likewise, Soma was a devout follower of those traits. A gods eater who was known to be a ruthless fighter, able to bring down aragami that could wipe out an entire squad by himself. Rumor has it that he was the best, better than Lindow even, yet he knew that the leader of their squad was someone who could make him look like a fresh rookie in comparison. Soma was inhuman, Lindow was a monster with a god arc.

Even so, that didn't mean he was incompetent. Soma was one of the best, even if he wasn't **the **best, and had gained a reputation as a feared gods eater.

If only that fear didn't come from his own allies.

"How are you feeling?" Sakaki asked, looking over him as the doctor proceeded with the medical evaluation.

Gods eaters weren't the sanest bunch of people to be around with. Most of them were teenagers that were given the responsibility of adults, and had been forced to see sights not meant to be seen. Aragami were brutal, merciless beasts that wouldn't stop until you **stopped** them - usually with a cold blade stabbed repeatedly into its gut, and even then, the aftermath would sometimes become the harder trial. Sending hormone imbalanced brats out to fight those beasts without paying attention to their physical and mental health is just asking for trouble.

"Fine," Soma answered harshly.

"Any problems? Dreams? Pains?"

"None, like I've told you the last time,"

"Hmm..." Paylor hummed thoughtfully, rooting through the oracle cell supply list in his computer to find Soma's dose. He left the bias factor supply list alone, however as Soma didn't need supplements to help him with that regard thanks to a key incident.

"So," Paylor suddenly perked, "I see you've started socializing with someone."

"What does that have to do with anything?" He wouldn't even call it socializing. Every time he had to meet with Daiba, Lindow forced him to go with her on a mission. Soma didn't necessarily dislike Kanon...it was more of mutual annoyance between the two of them, really. After all, he didn't discriminate. He hated the people who messed with his life, equally.

"I just feel like I should remind you," Sakaki smiled, unnervingly, "that there's more to life than fighting."

Not for him.

"Mind your own damn business,"

It was always the same. Sakaki asked a few questions, Soma told him to go fuck off. It had become a ritual that would be followed with certain unspoken rules implemented by the times he had gone in, and Soma had disdainfully gotten used to it - as much as he hated to admit it, Sakaki was the person who annoyed him the least. His father was an asshole, his 'friends' didn't know the meaning of personal space, and everyone else was scared shitless of him. Really, there weren't many very good options.

"Your business is my business, Soma," Sakaki chuckled, "I'm your doctor, after all."

"Damn you."

For a moment, the smile dropped from the doctor's face, and Soma was met with a steely frown. Sakaki injected the oracle dose into the armlet, the bias factor immediately factoring out the quantity of it placed inside and regulating the amount.

"It's a bit too late for that," He said, then walked out of the medical room with a small drag in his feet.

**XxXxX**

_Melancholy was a strange thing to feel. It had been a while since...since I've actually felt anything pleasant rather than plain annoyance or dry nonchalance. I don't know for how long...or maybe I just don't want to remember, but I've been stuck in that numb persona for as long as I can remember.  
><em>

_Watching Kanon's family run around made me miss my own parents and my little sister. I wish I could say I remember my mom's cookies or my dad's laugh...but the truth is, I forgot about those things. I don't remember anything about them anymore. Not their habits, not their voices...not even their faces. Funny, when I was younger, I used to keep having nightmares about their deaths. I wonder if that was the reason I forgot them; so I couldn't relive that night in my mind. If so, I think I'll have to beg for forgiveness to my parents. Really, who chooses to forget their mother and father?  
><em>

"Nyeh!" As one, the twins stuck out their tongues at their older sister, Kanon growing enraged at the mocking and charging them with a war cry. You would think that being an advanced bio soldier would make it so that catching a pair of eight year olds would be easy.

"Oof!" She was tripped as the twins revealed the thin wire that had been the purpose of her downfall before they took off running whilst Kanon groaned from her position on the ground.

You would be surprised how smart those kids could be.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Nana set herself down next to him, sitting on the seiza position with a slumbering Dune on her lap. Wolf sent her a questioning look.

"You've been watching them," Nana explained, "and that smile you had was rather strange. Oh, how my daughter must suffer? Having such a perverse partner, ufufufu."

Wolf blushed, "I-it's not that! I mean I wasn't looking at her like that - not t-to say she doesn't look great but I don't do that! B-but I'm not gay! I swear! I'm perfectly- "

"I was teasing you, Wolf-chan."

"O-oh..." Dammit, his cheeks were getting hotter. He could feel the embarrassment oozing off of him, trickling down his skin and coating him in his own shame! Oh god, the shame!

"Er...um..."

"Ufufufu. You certainly are easy to fluster. Very cute,"

"W-what?!"

"Maa, maa. I'm teasing. A mother must tease, yes?"

A silence descended down onto them, stifling the words as Wolf wanted to do nothing more than to bring out his inner ostrich and shove his head down underground. Nana and he watched as the twins ran around, avoiding Kanon as she screamed bloody murder and threats to the laughing duo. Even though Kanon looked truly furious, her lips twitched upward every now and then, and that was how Wolf knew this was their definition of 'family bonding time'.

Strange as it was, he couldn't help but smile at that.

"She's growing up so fast..." Nana began, "I still remember the times when she was still a child, crying whenever she was separated from me or my husband. Kanon was terribly shy then...she still is quite shy to new people, so you must forgive her if she may come out as clumsy."

"I like her like that..."

"Oh?" Nana quirked an eyebrow and grinned coyly, "Are you a moe fan, Wolf-kun? You're a bag of surprises. What a strange fetish for someone as abnormally silent as you, ufufufu."

"Ah...i-it isn't like that," Did this woman enjoy twisting his words? Stupid question, of course she did, "It's just...because she's so clumsy that...I know she's hard working."

"Hmmm..."

"You're daughter makes mistakes...and because of that, her self-confidence might have dropped just as well. But she keep's on trying doesn't she? I'm not sure if I could be like that. People like taking the easy way...and Kanon...well...she's different, I guess."

"Yes..." Nana smiled at him, yet Wolf, in a surprising time of ignorance, never saw it, "...I suppose she is."

Dune snuggled closer to his mother.

"Wolf..."

"Hm?"

"Feel free to come back to our home, yes?"

"Ah..." Wolf smiled, "...thanks."


	9. Phenomenon

Wolf yawned lazily, the cool air of the near winter day billowing inside the gravesite of his parents and playfully ruffling his hair. A rising sun was the main source of attention for the blond, who would otherwise would be wandering around the large underground of Fenrir, bored out of his mind. His music player did him no justice as it blasted his brains to mush with music that could very well put him to sleep, nevermind that it was set on full volume. Soft music of a kind of christian rock blared in his skull, the words audible to Kanon, the pink-haired girl coming over to the blond after having found no trace of him in the den.

_Firefly, 'cuz you shu-_

Kanon plopped down beside him, Wolf taking out his earphones and gave the girl a smile.

"You know," Kanon said. "We're gonna get in trouble for this."

"We?" Wolf gave her a playful look. "Have I been a bad influence?"

"Maybe." She gave a coy grin.

A comfortable silence rested on the two as the sun slowly rose higher in the sky, the pink and scarlet shades of sunlight peeking through the gaping hole.

"Hey, Wolf." The new-type felt a nudge in his stomach, and he turned to the only other human in the vicinity.

"Hm?"

"You think we're going too fast?" Kanon asked, not exactly looking at him as she was looking at the area where his face was whilst off in her own world. "I mean, we've only been in a relationship with each other for...one week?"

Wolf nodded.

"And you've already met my mom...and we...did...um...that thing back home." Kanon's face tinged a faint red at that, Wolf chuckling and wrapping one of his arms around the girl.

"Well," He started. "If you want, we can learn more about each other."

Kanon's blushed turned fiercer, making Wolf cock back an eyebrow in confusion. He replayed what he said in his mind before the truth hit him and he threw back his head and laughed.

"No, not like that, Kanon." He wheezed out. "We haven't even passed second base, let alone fourth."

"O-oh..." Kanon glared at him, though her red cheeks made her look no more threatening a four year old making a pout.

"I meant like asking a question, you know, like normal people."

"Since when were we normal?"

"We can dream, no?" Wolf shrugged, Kanon giggling at his response.

"Okay, then I go first." Kanon said, bringing up her hand to her chin in a contemplative pose. "What's...your dream?"

"Dream?" Wolf asked, Kanon nodding.

"Well," Wolf started. "I guess...to see my sister again, and this world to stop trying to kill me every day."

Wolf shrugged. "How about you, Kanon?"

Kanon giggled, turning to the steady sun with a far-away expression whe she was asked. "Hmmm...to protect those I love!"

Wolf stared.

Before he gave a smirk. "Am I included?"

"Nope." She smiled happily at him.

Wolf leaned in, getting close to the pink haired girl's face. "Really?"

Kanon pushed him lightly and they laughed.

"Alright, my turn." Wolf grinned. "What do you like?"

"What do I like?" Kanon echoed.

"Mmhmm."

"Well," She made a thoughtful sound. "I guess...ramen?"

Wolf chuckled, a small note to treat her to some of the Japanese noodles when they got a vacation again, being stuffed away in his mind.

"Now what do you like?"

Wolf pondered the question, turning his head to the sunrise. He took a few moments contemplating his answer, Kanon looking at him with a strange look.

"Snow." Wolf answered.

"Snow?" Kanon said, more of a question than a statement.

"Yeah." The blond nodded.

Kanon remembered snow, as she had been one to actually experience it. Because of the warmer temperatures, the rather large generators that made the ghetto hotter than hell and the fact that the climates were thrown out of whack, snow had been a rare occurence in the time, the last time it did snow being around two years ago.

The pinkette brightened, giving Wolf a smile. "Well, if it snows then how about we sneak out? Just the two of us."

Wolf smiled at her, yet, Kanon noticed, there was a small spark sadness in his eyes.

"Hey, why do you look sad?"

Wolf looked to be remarkably surprised, before masking it with confusion. "Sad?"

Kanon gave him a look.

"It's my turn, right?" Wolf changed the subject. "So, who's your dad?"

Kanon's eyes widened slightly before her eyes became downcast and she looked away.

"Sorry...I guess it was a bit too personal." Wolf apologized.

"No, it's...it's okay. Really." Kanon waved her arms frantically. "M-my dad...well, he was a gods eater."

Wolf noticed a term in her sentence, and he apologized again, this time as a form of condolence.

"He...went MIA in the 'Rising Tide' mission a few years ago." Kanon's voice cracked.

The 'Rising Tide' mission. A mission in which Fenrir launched a full-scale attack on an island off the coast of the Japan trench, many didn't know why they were advancing, until news of the Aegis project got out. An island like that was filled with powerful aragami that had killed and devoured more than their fair share of gods eaters.

It was a bloody battle.

The island was successfully overtaken though, and when the anti-aragami fence was operational around it, Aegis was immediately started, but the casualties were stunning.

A hundred-sixty-four people died or disappeared without a trace, their armlet signal vanishing along with them. Fenrir felt that for a long time, in fact, it was still feeling the sting of it's wounds, as the number of gods eaters were barely enough to defend the numerous headquarters. Not to mention the disappearances were covered up, Wolf only knowing about it thanks to some shady dealings in his past and Kanon knowing about it because her father told them about the operation before it happened.

Wolf shook the thoughts out of his head, to squeeze Kanon's shoulder lightly, the girl smiling slightly at him.

"So...my turn." Kanon brightened. "What did you do before you became a gods eater?"

Wolf chuckled. "I was a bartender."

Kanon remained silent for a moment.

...

Still silent.

...

A moment more and the pink haired girl giggled uncontrollably, her hand trying to cover up her laughs as Wolf looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"I-It's just," Kanon pushed out from the mass of laughter. "I just saw you in some wierd tuxedo...and it was..." Her giggles turned into a full blown laugh.

"I didn't wear a tuxedo, but I was pretty good in bartending." Wolf mumbled under his breath, Kanon barely registering it in her happy fit.

Once the girl suppressed her laughter into a steady stream of giggles and smiles, they went back to business.

"Can you tell me about your sister?" Kanon blurted out suddenly, Wolf raising an eyebrow at the girl's request.

"It's my turn." Wolf deadpanned, Kanon giving him a look that just told him he wouldn't win in the ensuing arguement.

Wolf sighed, looking out as the sun rose higher and higher. How about I tell you about her while we go back? Someone might notice our god arcs are missing."

Kanon happily smiled, grabbing his hand with her god arc in another and pulled him off the building, the freefall not really bothering either of them.

_Fenrir, 7:29 AM, Sakaki's Lab_

Paylor rapidly typed away in his keyboard, the seven monitors in front of him blaring information in his face, the doctor's smile growing more and more genuine as he read the source.

"Fascinating." Sakaki mused. "Such adaptability."

A whoosh of air as the mechanic door opened alerted him, Lindow stepping in and giving him a cheery wave. "Hey, doc."

"Oh, Lindow. What can I do for you?"

"You said you had something to tell me about the rookie new-type?"

Paylor nodded. "Ah, yes. I'd like you to give him these." Sakaki outstreched one hand, a container for what looked like medicine wrapped in his fingers.

"Sure," Lindow said, despite his curiosity in the request. "But why?"

"..." Paylor's smile faded slowly. "His...genetic makeup is unique."

"Unique?"

"Yes, Lindow. How many natural blonde haired, blue eyed half-Japanese males do you know?"

"Uh..." Lindow drawled.

"Exactly." Paylor interrupted. "And what's more intriguing is it's...form."

Lindow looked confused.

"His cells are fusing with the rampant oracle cells, adapting if you will."

"Wait, he's turning?" A small look of panic dawned on Lindow's features.

"No, not turning." Paylor adjusted his glasses. "Not exactly, anyway..."

"Not exactly?"

"His cells are absorbing the foreign cells."

"His cells? Not the Oracle cells?"

Oracle Rebellion.

When a person's Oracle cells rebel and slowly turn the host's own cells into oracle cells, thereby transforming them into aragami. It was a rare occasion in the ranks, but when it did happen...

Everything tends to end badly.

But a host absorbing Oracle cells...was unheard of. Simply because the oracle cells had a much more stronger basis, and devoured any thing it could, transforming the host cell into another which would then go and transform another, until all that was left was a colony of Oracle cells.

"What's happening to him?"

Sakaki looked down for a moment. "I don't know." He admitted. "He may become an aragami, or he could just get stronger attributes from this...or he may just fall down and die..."

"So you're saying he's probably screwed?"

"...to put it bluntly, yes."

_Fenrir, 8:01 AM, Cafeteria_

Waving hello to Kota, who was catching breakfast alongside Lindow and Sakuya, Wolf along with Kanon went to the line for their own rations.

"Hey, Wolf!" Kota greeted, walking over to them after abandoning his food with his usual grin plastered on his face. "Who's your friend?"

"Kota, Kanon. Kanon, Kota." He drawled, barely lip-reading what the red head said with his ears once again plugged with music, playing at his favorite volume, which is to say, maximum. Kota picking off some of the lyrics.

_Here I am. koe ni dashite_

"Hey, have you heard?" Kota asked, trying to talk to Wolf but looking to Kanon as he was most likely not paying any attention. "Eric's retiring!"

Kanon gasped. "He is?" Kanon's face turned cheery again. "That's great!"

Wolf took a moment out of his world, raising an eyebrow and taking out one of his earphones, the other still beating down in his eardrums. "Retire?"

"Yep. You don't know what it entails?" Kanon asked, Wolf shaking his head in a negative. "Oh. Well, gods eaters have a low-life expectancy. So most gods eaters are given varied times of service." Kanon explained, somehow getting a chartboard out of...somewhere...detailing the rather low rates of survival in Fenrir. "Also, the least you can serve is five years, before an honorable discharge. Eric's been here for around...eight years, right?"

Lindow nodded, coming over with Sakuya in tow.

"Plus, when a gods eater retires, Fenrir gives them a monthly allowance and supports them and their family." Kanon's expression looked downcast after that. "Sadly, the number of gods eaters that actually retire from the Den can be counted with both hands... and you'd probably still have fingers to spare."

_(simple as that)_

_Yuzurenai_

_Kono itami wa deai to hitsuzen_

"So, since Eric's basically set," Kota grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "We should have a party!"

Most of the gods eaters in the cafeteria were now listening in their conversation, an excuse for some fun and celebration shining in the war-torn soldiers' eyes, seeing as most of them were below twenty-five, something Wolf was rather troubled at.

"Well, well. Planning a party for my magnificence? How thoughtful." Said soon-to-be-retiree chuckled, joining in the conversation.

"Oh, Eric!" Kota's grin turned into an excited smile. "How about it? A party would be awesome!"

Lindow laughed. "Now, now rookie. You should clear it with the Director first."

"But it does sound fun." Sakuya added.

"Well, then, I'll ask the director!" Kota grinned, pumping one fist in the air, and turning to the lift, before his stomach rumbled. "...After breakfast!"

Soon after that shout, the gods eaters returned to their food, though there was still a talk about the latest news abuzz.

_Kanaetai kanaerarenai kanaeru_

_Kokuu wo tsukamu yoru nanika ni mezameta asa_

_Riyuu to iu kasegoto hatenai sora he tada tobitatsu sou_

_"Soredake."_

_Sermont_ ended, the song finishing it's last words and giving way to silence, Wolf turning off his gadget and pocketing it in turn, and being lead away a second later as Kanon happily pulled him to the dispensing area.

Kota looked at the two with a strange expression. "Man, he already has a girl..."

Sakuya laughed. "I guess he's more of a player than he looks."

"That stone brick? Kanon's the only one who can actually get an emotion out of him." Lindow shook his head before snapping his fingers. "Ah, crap! I forgot old man Sakaki wanted me to give him something." The raven haired leader strolled to his subordinate, the blond telling a story of one time when his sister had cooked for him which, if Lindow heard correctly, didn't go so well.

_City of Mercy, 12:24 PM, Rendezvous Point_

As the helicopter hovered high above the ground, our team of gods eaters readied themselves. One by one, they leaped out the piece of tech, freefalling a couple of stories before landing with nary a scratch.

Wolf activated his magnetic holster, his god arc attaching securely to it before giving a wave to the pilot, said man, well at least he thought it was a man, waved, before following his fellow squad members.

"Alright, you know the drill." Lindow reminded, setting his god arc on his shoulder as per usual. "Don't die. Come back alive."

"Wait, that's it?" Kota asked disappointed, his god arc held behind him. "Shouldn't you make some big 'ole speech?"

"Would you listen if he gave a big 'ole speech?" Sakuya commented.

"Well...no."

"And there you have it." Soma finished, Kota grumbling something about smartasses.

"Glad to see we're all connected." Lindow paused, giving Wolf a look, the new-type listening to his Ipod again and pretty much ignoring everything else. He seemed not to notice, or perhaps he simply didn't care, but when the combined gazes of his team reached him, he thought it wise to listen.

"I'm kidding, take it easy." Lindow chuckled, Wolf shrugging and planting one of his earphones back, the other half listening in the conversation. Lindow shook his head but continued, nonetheless.

"Besides, I've got something that need's doin'." Lindow cheerily remarked, bringing up his phone with a sly grin crawling up his face. "Anyway, this will be the first four member mission the new-type will be in."

Wolf looked a bit peeved at that, remembering Kota had talked to him about having taken a mission alongside three others long before this.

"Huh? What about you, Lindow?" Kota once again looked disappointed, with a hint of confusion on his tiny red head.

"I've got a date, and I've gotta hurry or she'll leave! Man, talk about impatient." Lindow took a glance at his phone. "Anyway, my orders are the same. Don't die, return to base, safe and sound."

"Roger." Kota saluted with a cheery grin.

"Tch. They're your own orders." Soma reminded. "Make sure you follow them yourself."

Lindow seemed to grow a bigger grin at that, but before Wolf could confirm, he walked off.

"Try not to stay out too late Lindow, ok?" Sakuya called out, Lindow giving a parting wave behind him.

"Let's mosey." Wolf ordered, jumping off the ledge first.

"Dude, who say's that anymore?" Kota called out to him, laughs threatening to fall as a cheshire grin spread on his face.

"Soma, are you smirking?" Sakuya teased.

"Shut up!"

_City of Mercy, 1:01 PM, Area D_

"Kota at point A. I got nothing." His words crawled through the small radio on their armlets.

"Soma on point C. Zygotes, three of 'em. I'm engaging." A roar sounded through the static.

"Sakuya here. I'm heading to support Soma."

"Ditto for me." Kota said.

"Right. I'll keep searching for the Kongou."

"Roger." "Got'cha."

Wolf disconnected, strolling with caution through the abandoned church.

Everything seemed normal...

...

No giant gorilla there...

...

Not here either...

...

Dammnit! How hard is it to find a five ton aragami!

As if mocking him, the gods dropped a Kongou on his head, which he narrowly rolled away from, of course. Otherwise, we wouldn't have a story.

"Well, that's a fine how-do-you-do." Wolf scowled, his god arc detaching from his holster and held in a stance for when the Kongou charged.

He didn't have to wait long.

An aragami the size of a small car soared over him, ready to crush him under it's weight, Wolf jumping and using the Kongou's face as a lift, propelling himself higher, his god arc morphing into a gun, five concentrated blasts of ice blasting off and raining down on the gorilla. It didn't flinch though, in fact, it got even angrier.

Big 'ole ugly charged at him straight as he landed, Wolf barely having enough time to bring up his shield and block the swipe. The beast and Wolf held each other at a stand-still, the blond close enough to it's face, that he could see the thin line of drool draping across it's maw, it's beady black eyes looking at him like lunch and nothing more. It roared and pushed with even more strength, Wolf now skidding slowly back, trying to dig his feet deeper in to the ground as to stop the advance, but it was for naught, the Kongou overpowering him a second later and flinging him away.

He skidded across the ground, his back scraping gravel before he managed to roll ot his feet, the aragami in front of him already charging.

For the next minutes all he saw were claws and fangs, the Kongou unrelenting as it swiped wildly at him, trying to slow him down just before it's bone breaking maw closed around his bdy and-

CHOMP

Wolf angrily bit down on the Kongou's arm, it's roar of agony music to his ears as a few scratches around his frame explained his frustration. Burst quickly liberated his limits, energy unlocking skills he never knew he had and reinforcing his muscle and sinew to superhuman levels, the Kongou swiping it's bit arm and dislodging him, though he quickly righted himself in mid-air, his god arc already in it's gund form and firing bullets at it with a fury.

"Eat this." Wolf quietly muttered, a scowl visible on his features as the Kongou felt the bullets impact on it's face, cracking the mask.

Everything seemed to go his way, the blond jumping over the Kongou when it made a wild dive to crush him. His sword came back and replaced his gun, the blade glowing with a purple aura. He ran faster than his limits, his legs blurring as the Kongou turned around, it's reaction to swipe at him. Wolf saw it coming, ducking low under the outstreched arm and bringing hisgod arc up, slicing cleanly through it's torso, but the Kongou melded over the cut, but it was in pain. It fell down, flailing about as blood spurted like a fountain out and Wolf went in for the finishing blow.

But that's when things went downhill.

Burst wore out and the Kongou looked pissed.

One arm sent his way, and all he could do was block, the impact sending him into a wall and making a hole in the concrete. He coughed blood, feeling his ribs breaking under the last hit.

"Shit..." He swore.

His arms felt limp and the Kongou was charging another air cannon.

"Not...good."

He opened one eye, the other shut in pain as it fired.

Man, this is a lame way to go.

"Get up."

And the air blast was promptly blocked by Soma's shield.

He laughed, wincing when a sting came through his ribs.

"Sorry." He apologized. "But...I've done most of the work. You'll have to...let...me rest."

Damn, and he fell unconcious in the good part.


	10. Kokoro

Wolf gave a look of astonishment.

Awe.

And a little bit of dread.

All caused by the pink haired girl devouring bowl after bowl of ramen at an inhuman pace, the food disappearing into her mouth and further increasing the pile of bowls next to her. Wolf mentally groaned. His wallet would be a lot lighter when he got outta here, judging by the chef's joyous face- and what's with that guy's eyes? He gazed curoiusly at the ramen chef of the small stand they had agreed upon, the man's eyes turning comically into what looked like a sign for currency. Wolf blinked, and it was gone, the blond shrugging and chalking it up to some of the meds in his system.

Anyway, back to the black hole.

The blond leaned forward, placing his hand on his chin for support, and staring with a smirk dancing on his face, whilst Kanon inhaled the food. The pinkette stopped in her conquest of noodles and stared back, strands of fresh ramen draping her chin. She looked strangely at him, though he supposed he could accredit that to the curtain of noodles half-way to her stomach.

"What?" Kanon asked, her voice slightly muffled by her food and coming a bit gargled. She blinked twice before resuming her slurping and chewing the ramen before finally gulping it down.

Wolf smirked, still, his own bowl set aside after she had finished her...sixth? Seventh? Nevermind. He grabbed a tissue and rubbed the tip of the pinkette's nose. "You have a bit of broth on your nose."

"H-hey!" Kanon shouted indignantly.

Wolf chuckled but that was quickly stopped when Kanon poked his injured ribs.

After the little mishap with the mission, Wolf had awakened in the medical bay, a worried Kanon looking over him while his team went to go brief what had happened to the director. She had told him that Soma had smashed the Kongou's face in and, this is where she quoted the broody teen, "Dragged the new idiot's half-dead corpse back", even though his injuries weren't even that severe...for a gods eater anyway. Wolf so far had suffered some bruises and fractures from his little meeting with the wall, but most had been taken care of by the medics and his oracle aided regeneration.

Kanon poked him again.

But that didn't mean he wasn't hurting in places.

So he had been placed in medical leave by Tsubaki, herself. Though he didn't argue, he certainly wasn't pleased about being left out to dry. So, naturally he found Kanon and bribed her with free ramen, the pinkette jumping and sneaking off alongside him to the ghettos, which is where they were now.

Kanon dunked back the last of the broth of her last bowl, the girl giving a content sigh until her companion once again pushed a tissue and genlty rubbed her nose, with a half-lidded grin.

Poke.

Scratch that grin.

"You're a bit of a tsundere, aren't you?" Wolf grimaced.

Kanon glared and jabbed him with her elbow.

"Ow!" Wolf cried, rubbing the part where Kanon's forearm had lightly hit.

She held back, of course. Otherwise, it would have been way more painful.

Kanon smiled a way too innocent smile.

Waaaaaaay more painful.

"Hey, have you heard?" Kanon asked him, as he handed the appropriate currency to the happy stand owner.

"Heard what?" Wolf replied.

"You know," Kanon gave him a look. "We're getting more recruits! New-types at that!"

"Recruits?" Wolf raised an eyebrow. "When are they arriving?"

"Oh...actually..." Kanon looked to be in deep thought, the two of them exiting the ramen stand and walking off in a particular direction. The pink haired gods eater tapped her chin, struggling to remember the due date. "I think it was...today."

"Really?" Wolf looked no less troubled at that. "I thought new- types were rare. So many coming here in such a short time." Wolf grew a small look of curiosity, his eyes staring at the ground but not actually focusing on any detail. "You think it has something to do with Aegis?"

"Probably." Kanon answered. "Last hope of mankind and all. Fenrir's ultimate goal."

"It sounds all noble when you say it like that." Wolf pointed out.

"I suppose." Kanon shrugged.

Wolf rounded a corner, the pinkette grabbing his arm and following him back to the den.

_Fenrir, 2:21 PM, The Den_

The Den seemed strangely more barren to Wolf, the blond noting the lack of the usual gods eaters that loitered around. Hell, apart from his squad, the only ones here were Hibari and the merchant that kept on bugging him to buy his products. Perhaps this was something about the new recruits Kanon mentioned. Whatever the reason, the silence made Wolf a bit uncomfortable, the others in his squad...weren't as troubled. Kota and Eric were conversing about the farewell party, Lindow and Sakuya were teasing each other relentlessly, and Soma was...Soma.

The new-type promptly coudln't take it anymore and brought out his Ipod. Skimming through his music list, he selected one out of mood. He pressed the middle and uncurled his earphones, plugging themin his eardrums and tapping his finger to the rhythm.

The blond made one more look around the den to see if anything of interest would happen. Seeing none, he laid down on the couch and clsoed his eyes, the blond focusing on his music with the world fading into chords and lyrics.

Ah, how he loved this trance.

_Something's getting in the way_

_Something's just about to break_

He could fall asleep in his peace, the new-type too enslaved by the tune to wake up from anything less than an emergency.

_Try to find out what makes you tick_

_As I lie down, sore and sicks_

Everything was fine while he had music...

BANG

The couch shuddered, and he payed no mind.

BANG

The couch shuddered again, this time, Wolf opened one eye to glare at the silver haired girl meeting his gaze with equal fierceness. She spoke, her mouth moving and Wolf reading.

"I'm disgusted with your laid back attitude."

He rolled his eyes before focusing them back again.

"Bugger off."

She gave him a dissaproving look, and a little flip of her hair with an angry, "Why, I never."

Wolf grew annoyed but forced it down, knowing getting into a verbal argument would serve to annoy him more, seeing as the girl was smirking quite triumphantly. He gave a small sigh before going back to his music.

Which was then, ripped away by the white haired girl.

"Okay, that's it." Wolf growled, jumping and using the edge of the couch as leverage, tackling her and wrestling the female to the ground, all for the sake of his earphones. "Give 'em back!"

"Make me, you brute!"

"Oh, I'll make you alright!"

As the two rolled along the ground, a dust cloud formed, partly to hide their battle and partly to make this a bit more comical. The cloud encircled them slowly, limbs and an occasional head sticking through the cloud only to be pulled back in. Lindow and Kota laughed, Sakuya looked rather worried, while Eric was rolling his eyes. Soma was... honestly, he couldn't have cared less.

But when the elder Amamiya gave Lindow a glare, he stopped immediately, giving a sigh before motioning to Soma, the white head scoffing before grabbing Wolf's shoulders and dragging him away, his earphones successfully retrieved, though he was still kicking and muttering a few profanities.

"Now that you're acquainted," Tsubaki said, Wolf and the unnamed girl glaring daggers at each other. "Arashi, meet Alisa. She'll be one of the two new-type recruits, so be sure to look out for her."

Alisa gave a sarcasm filled, "Pleasure to meet you."

**FZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz**

Kota swore he could see lightning between those two.

"Where's the other one?" Lindow imposed, the commander hoping to steer the conversation to another direction from 'Feud City'. But he said nothing about Wolf's sister, too high profile and all.

"She went to the medical bay for her check-up first, a few hours ago. She'll be here any moment." His sibling informed.

"She?" Kota asked, stars shining in his eyes. "Another girl? Alright!"

Alisa gave him another disapproving look.

A pleasant ding interuppted the would be bickering and all eyes turned, the lift's door opening and spitting out a girl.

Wolf could have mistaken her for Kanon.

Had she not been smaller.

Had she not had so different clothes.

Had she not looked so...

Familiar.

Wait a minute...

Is that...?

Fuck.

"Saya Arashi," She chirped, happily. "Reporting for duty."

No sooner had she said her last name, did all eyes turn to Wolf, the blond feeling a twitch in his eye. Saya followed their looks, before her face brightened even more. Her feet blurred, and faster than anyone could interpret it, she was already flying off the ground.

"Nii-chan!"

And sent Wolf and herself over Hibari and her desk with a perfect tackle hug.

Fortunately for Saya, before her older brother could bearte her, he dove head first and met steel.

Needless to say, he was out like a light.

* * *

><p><strong>Kinda short and rushed, but I'm really hurrying and getting excited for when the Prithvi Matha appears, that's when everything diverses from the already awesome plot. I mean, I wouldn't be very original if all I did was put my character in an already used plot, huh?<strong>

**Now, give MEH PIE!**

**I mean reviews...**

**But pie would be appreciated. XD**

**Seriously...**


	11. Not Alone

**Saya Arashi**

**Age: 15**

**Hair Style: 8**

**Hair Color: 9**

**Face: 1**

**Skin: 7**

**Clothes: Petunia Jacket (Women's)**

**Casual Bottom (Green)**

**Voice: 4**

**On with the chapter!**

* * *

><p>For the second time in two days, he had found himself staring up at the white ceiling of the medical bay. Wolf groaned softly, his head throbbing while he remembered the events that lead to even more head trauma from a near ten foot tall. His pain drew back the attention of the only other living person in the room, her pink hair appearing in his sight. Wolf brought himself up, the world spinning for a moment and making his stomach lurch from the motions. The blond grumbled incoherently, his guest retreating back out of his personal space, though her smile remained in tact. She clapped her hands once, further increading Wolf's already ringing ears and pointedly making him suffer, though she probably hadn't meant it. The girl gave him a pointed look, the bubblegum colored teen standing and giving him a pout.<p>

"Nii-chan!" Saya Arashi, his sister, locked eyes with him and placed her hands on her hips. "We would have had a teary reunion, but you had to go and take a nap!"

Wolf grew a tick mark, the red animation pulsing in tangent with the twitch in his eye. He would have got up and probably chased her around the den a bit, had he not gained the most persistent headache in all of history. He sighed outwardly, Saya grinning at his annoyance.

"I told you to stay in Europe."

She smiled at him.

"I told you not to try to come back...that I'd find you, not the other way around."

She kept her smile up.

"Stop smiling, this isn't something to laugh at, Saya!" He scolded, injuries forgotten in favor of reprimanding the girl who disobeyed him. He scowled, his face twisting into an angry look that would make any other person flinch from it's glare. "I sent you there to be safe, and you had to come back here to ground- fucking- zero! I can't believe you did this! Hell, I can't believe the old man let you do this!"

"He didn't." Saya interrupted, her smile fading and her stare turning to her feet. "He wouldn't let me."

Wolf's glare turned fiercer. "So you disobeyed Eden and I?"

"...Master died."

The blond new-type's eyes widened. "...When?"

"A few months ago. An aragami attack...and he was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Why didn't I know about this? Why didn't you send me a letter?"

"You never read them." Saya glared. "Otherwise, you would have at least sent one back! You're drowning yourself in guilt, so much that anything involving your past get's filed under 'Run Away and Don't Look Back'! You blame yourself for that incident! I know you do! But do you think making yourself into a scapegoat would have made mom and dad more peaceful? Or even if you hunt down that aragami? You think killing that thing will make everything better? Would it even make your nightmares stop? Look at you! You think you've got it so goddamn hard!" The older sibling didn't answer, keeping his silence even when Saya stopped, Wolf unable to look her in the eye.

"I'm sorry." Wolf said, faintly.

Saya sighed. "You haven't changed at all. Apologizing again and again." She sat down on the edge of his bed. "It makes me wonder if you've ever tried to forgive."

He said nothing.

"Don't run. Nothing ever get's solved by having too heavy-a-concsience." The younger of the two spoke. "We'll keep on fighting...but we won't do it alone."

"It's not as easy as just fighting." Wolf muttered.

Saya didn't say another word, an uncomfortable silence overtaking them for what was an eternity for the two. Wolf threw his feet over the bed side a minute after, standing up and turning to leave. Saya stared at his retreating form, the pat of his boots on the floor reverberating through-out the room.

One step.

Wolf's gaze lowered again.

Another more.

Saya stood up, brushing part of her hair away from her face and behind her ear.

A dull thud again.

"Will you quit being alone so much and let people help you?"

He stopped.

Saya grew closer.

"You still have the necklace, right?" His sibling wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind him

Wolf nodded.

"Even after nearly three years..." Saya buried herself in his back, the familiar scent of her brother comforting her. "Miss you..."

Wolf clutched one of her arms, tenderly. "Miss you too."

Kanon, one hand extended towards the door, froze, her posture going rigid, softening slightly only as she drew back her hand, the girl holding it on her chest and turning swiftly, giving another glance of doubt at the door. She had to rip away her gaze, the pinkette shaking her head furiously before walking faster towards the lift, a troubled expression curled in thougth present on her features.

Why was she like this? She should be happy Wolf and his sister found each other again. But...why...why was she so angry?

'No,' Kanon shook her head at the thought. 'What this is...it isn't anger..."

What was is it then?

Sadness?

Fear?

Hatred?

The girl bit her upper lip, absentmindedly pressing the button on the lift.

Damn it...

No...

None of those...

Jealousy.

The medic nearly flinched at the word, her hands trembling more at the mere thought. Kanon looked somber as the word refused to go away, like a splinter that had punctured too deep in her skin, and a big one at that. She cursed herself at what she could very well call selfishness. Wolf knew her for no more than a month and he knew his sister practically his whole life. It would be understandable...but why was did chest feel like it was being rushed by a ton of rocks?

Why was she so jealous?

Wolf had always been nice to her. She was the person she was the most comfortable with in the den. He treated her every bit as kind as he did his sister...

His sister...

Kanon looked even more depressed, her eyes turning puffy when she tucked her head down. Her thoughts mixed with her emotions and they drove apart from sense. Did Wolf use her as no more than a girl he could use as a form of some sort of pseudo closure with his sister? Damn, why was she even thinking this?

The doors of the lift opened wit a pleasant ding, one Kanon barely heard, and out stepped her squad, Tatsumi cheerily speaking with them before he and Gina gave her a wave. She nodded her head slightly in return and stepped past them, entering the lift with her head somehow even lower. She must have had a teary look because just before the lift closed, Gina had called her name in worry.

"Kanon-" And the doors shut, Kanon's hand trembling slowly back to her chest.

She shook her head furiously again. Why was she so troubled? Saya Arashi and Kanon Daiba were two completely different people. Wolf...he knew that. He wasn't..._isn't_ like that.

'Right?' The thought scared her, creeping into her mind from the deepest parts of her doubts. Kanon grabbed her head and screamed, and in her fury, lashed out at the wall of the lift, her fist connecting and breaking under her own pressure, being caught between metal and a hard place, even when the metal dented outward from her enhanced strength.

Kanon recoiled, holding her bleeding right hand close, feeling her bones crack and bruise slightly from under her skin, the parts that hadn't been cut by sharp fragments anyway, droplets of blood dripping down to the floor from a trail from crimson. Even with her oracle cells, she wasn't invulnerable. The doors opened, revealing Kanon to two of her squad mates, chatting amiably. She kept her bleeding hand close, and walked past them.

_Fenrir, 7:23 PM, Cafeteria_

Wolf stepped into the smell of the cafeteria, and the usual bustle of the gods eaters trying to have a chat over Dr. Sakaki's mystery goop. He looked around, eyes scanning the crowd for Kanon's usual bubbly and bipolar attitude within, frowning when he found no hide nor hair of her pink head. Tatsumi's group had returned from their patrol earlier, he'd seen him flirting with Hibari, once again, a few hours before. He grew worried, but tried to reason Kanon was perfectly capable of defending herself.

'She's fine...probably just tired...' Wolf gimaced.

"Hey, blondie."

He turned to the speaker, a silver haired girl with an eyepatch.

"You're Kanon's boyfriend, right?'

He nodded slowly.

"I'm Gina, Kanon's squad mate." She introduced herself. "Kanon...looked depressed when I saw her. She hasn't even come out of her room for dinner." She crossed her arms. "Can you go talk to her? I would do it myself but she doesn't say anything when I knock. I'm a...bit...worried..."

Before she even completed her sentence, Wolf had already raced back into the lift.

_Knock Knock Knock_

"Kanon!'

...

"Kanon, you in there?"

He could hear some rustling.

Wolf sighed, pressing a button and opening the door with a mechanical hiss.

"I'm...coming in." Wolf warned, stepping foot into the neat room of Kanon.

Wolf unsteadily gazed around, his eyes landing on one side of the room where Kanon lay curled up in her bed sheets from everything under her neck, probably asleep. He gave a sigh of relief.

'She's just tired...that's all...' His mind answered, Wolf taking a few steps forward and sitting down on her bed. Kanon shifted slightly before going back to her light breaths.

"ZZZzzzz..." She snored lightly, Wolf chuckling at the girl's sleeping face.

"Anyone ever tell you you look cute when you sleep?" Wolf asked her, but she still slept, her hand finding his and resting easily on it.

"Better wake you up. No good if you get hungry on the job." He nudged the girl, slightly on the shoulder, and she budged, only to curl even more in her sheets.

"You're one heavy sleeper." Wolf chuckled.

A few more times and Kanon stirred.

"Ugh...ah...wha-?" She sleepily yawned, sitting up with the sheets still clinging on her. "Wolf?"

She yawned, the pinkette bringing up a hand and rubbing her eyes. "Wha-..." She yawned again. "What are you doing here?"

She stopped and her eyes widened. "In my room!"

"I came to wake you up." Wolf raised an eyebrow. He'd done this when they were on leave, what was wrong about doing it now?

His answer came in the form of a falling curtain of bed covers.

Kanon, too depressed about everything, had taken a quick shower, not bothering to wear anything other than a bra and panties before she tried to sleep, which is why Wolf now knows...

Kanon sometimes sleeps in her underwear.

The blonde's eyes widened and a blush crept up his face, Kanon realizing where the sudden cold came from.

On a side note, she was much bigger than she looked with her dress on.

Kanon screamed.

* * *

><p><strong>End!<strong>

**HAHA!**

**Cliffhanger (however small) and a dirty joke!**

**You guys have been a bad influence! =_=**

**But I still love you all.**

**...We're talking bromance or sibling crap like that, when I say 'love', 'kay?**

**Rad-chan: thank you for the pie!**


	12. Pain

_A full moon burned in the night sky, the lunar sun glimpsing past the clouds of the rainy season, the heavenly tears stopping for now. A small child grunted, carefully adjusting the small bundle he carried on his back and resumed his trek through the mountains._

_"Hey, Saya..."_

_..._

_"We'll be fine." He said, forcing a smile behind him, a girl with cherry pink hair saying and doing nothing in return. Wolf sighed, before forcing his feet to move forward. "I won't let anything happen to you."_

_He trudged forward, making sure his sibling's grip was still secure, however frail her current mentality was. The blond grabbed unto a rock and started to climb up the steep cliff. He wedged his way past the rocks, pushing his last limits to at least reach the top, where he could hopefully find a hollow tree and rest. Wolf wheezed, taking a few deep breaths before resuming, noticing Saya's grip around him tighten, for fear of falling. He grabbed on to a stable rock before adressing her._

_"Sorry about this." He apologized, the six year old grinning wildly. "But it's the fastest way to that Fenrir company."_

_Silence..._

_"Hey, Saya..."_

_Still nothing, and Wolf couldn't blame her._

_"You think..." A heavy breeze blew over them, forcing him to latch on harder to the rocks. "-You think mom and dad are watching over us?"_

_Wolf paused for a moment more, his eyes gazing up at the moonlit horizon, before lifting himself up again and further up his climb._

_"Our old man..." He grunted, the girl on his back unresponsive. "-told us a story...do you remember...that when someone dies...their soul goes to the underworld?"_

_..._

_"He told me about this kingdom...about how evil bastards...get sent to something called 'tartarus'." Wolf leaped up, grabbing a rock after he nearly missed it, the boy sighing in relief before he resumed. "-And how...good people were sent to the place of their dreams." He breathed deeper, the trek tiring his still small body._

_"E...ys...um."_

_Wolf froze._

_"E...ys...um."_

_The blond turned his head, his sister struggling to form her words._

_"E...Ely...Elysium...Isles...of the...Blessed."_

_Wolf's eyes widened,_ before_ an easy smile formed on his lips. "Right. Elysium and the Isles of the blessed...they sound great, huh?" He laughed, the blond pulling himself over the edge. He wiped the sweat from his brow and took a few deep breaths before walking forward to find a resting spot._

_"Hey, Saya..."_

_"Nii...chan."_

_"I promise you..." Wolf smiled at her. "One day...I'll make us..."_

_Wind howled loud, drowning the words, but she heard it. Her brother's promise. Wolf whispered it close, and whatever dam she had built fell, her tears along with it._

**_"Our own Elysium."_**

* * *

><p><strong>A loud ring of impacting flesh on steel echoed across the hall of the quarters, followed with a dull thump as a body flopped down on the ground, right side up and unconcious.<strong>

...

**Seem's peaceful enough, does it not?**

...

Am I in the wrong script or something?

**A flutter of paper sounded from off-screen, a few mutters of 'Where was I?' and 'I don't get it', as well as an 'I need some more pie' being heard once or twice. Before the childish author could continue his check, a swoosh of a mechanical door brought back his attention, the idiotic fool giving an annoyed glance to something non-existent.**

Shut up, Earl Jones.

**No, you shut up!**

**FZZZFZFZFZZZZ**

Right...last time I get a narrator.

Anyway, back to the story.

A door, intricate in design, pushed itself to the side, awakening the pile of limbs on the ground before it, as well as allowing a fully clothed (and angry) Kanon Daiba to emerge with a look of pure fury, all directed at the sweating teen on the pavement. Wolf Arashi stiffened, though how exactly he did so whilst looking up from his position on the floor was to be discussed at a later date. As of right now, he had bigger fish to fry.

_CRACK_

Kanon cracked her fingers, a dark look behind her, and the male nearly saw what looked like a blazing inferno dancing behind the girl.

Yep, way bigger fish to fry.

Like getting away from the murderous pinkette that would be after various parts of his anatomy, parts he preffered to stay rooted to his frame.

"Before you try to horribly murder me...would you forgive me if I said it was an accident?" Wolf asked, weakly.

"No." Kanon growled, a dangerous edge in her voice.

"Ah, crap." Wolf mumbled.

The blond, in an impresssive display of dexterity, pushed himself up just as Kanon's foot impacted on where his head once was, until a second ago, Wolf hearing a small crack from the metal floor even as he flipped himself up and above Kanon, the girl looking stupefied for a moment as the new-type brushed past her face, a dull landing of feet resounding from behind her and she lashed out with another kick, the blond ducking under it. Kanon growled and brought her left fist to his face, which Wolf hastily jumped over, grabbing her shoulder for a little support and avoiding the left hook. His feet touched down, and the blond took off running to the lift and temporary salvation, Kanon hot on his heels.

Wolf pretty much slammed into the elevator, the machine still on the first floor. Wolf cursed and jumped into the staircases. Kanon roared in righteous feminine anger, a counter to her usual nature, and followed. Wolf jumped on one handle and leaped across the wide expanse of floors below him, showing Fenrir's deepest floor a few stories below him, and landed on another floor lower, Kanon following his example. Wolf paled and jumped his way down even more, like a hellound was after his head.

An angry Kanon was worse than a hellhound.

He ducked in a corridor, Kanon running past him, in too much of a blind rage to see exactly where he went. Peeking his head past, the new-type peered across to where Kanon disappeared, and saw no sign of his girlfriend. He sighed in relief, then turned and walked away. He whistled a tune, acting casual as he could.

"Hey, Wolf!" Kota waved at him with a grin from across the hall, the sounds jumping around the walls and into everyone's ears, including Wolf's.

Said blond was now cursing Kota. He would have strangled him too had an angry Kanon not skidded from across the corridor. He cursed whatever deity had handed him short stick in this time, but contemplated ito for mere moments before he zipped past them and ran back up to the lobby.

And the hunt resumes...

_Fenrir, 8:29 AM, Lobby a.k.a Ground Zero_

Luca Kuroda was an average recruit.

Of course, with that comes the feeling of uniqueness every new gods eater to be would have.

She was a teen of seventeen, getting ready to 'save humanity' and 'make a difference'. Her excitement manifested in her eyes, and a litteral bounce in her step. Her pale blue hair stood out, and contrasting beautifully with her crimson red eyes, the very same color of wine. Ah, yes. She could very well be a protagonist in this dark world.

However...

Wolf Arashi bashed heads with the girl, not a fun thing to do when you're running at twenty five miles an hour whilst escaping a rampaging pinkette.

...We already have a protagonist.

Luca yelped in surprise, one hand clutching her cranium and she was vaguely aware of the blond in front doing the same.

"Ow," She cried. "Watch where you're going, asshole."

Wolf glared at her. "Sorry." He said those words with as much sarcasm as he possibly could.

"I can tell you're real social." She glared back.

"I can tell you're real stuck up."

"Excuse me?"

"Did I stutter?"

Luca raised her voice. "You gave me a headbutt!"

"Excuse me if I was too busy running from a beat down to notice pretty little you!"

"You better start running again!" She pulled back her sleeves menacingly. "One more beat down coming your way!"

"Come and try, murasaki!" (1)

It would've continued to reduce itself onto a fist fight, had a pink haired girl not grabbed Wolf and dragged him away, his face paling right before he got thrown over the protective railing and straight over Hibari's head, and into an unsuspecting Lindow, both the blond and commander tumbling down on the ground.

"Ow," Lindow groaned. "Rookie, there are less painful greetings. A wave or a hello would have been enough."

Strangely, no one even looked twice in their direction, as soon as they saw Wolf. Let it be known, the guy was a magnet for all things wierd.

Said blond gave a wave from the floor, before his arm flopped back down on the ground. His attention was the redirected to the ceiling. More specifically, the two girls that blocked his view of the ceiling. Kanon and Luca glared at him with the anger of a few thousand suns, Wolf feeling a very cold chill pass his spine and force the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight, screaming for him to run and hope to get away, hopefully with all his limbs intact.

AS if reading his mind, Kanon grabbed his one hand with a death-grip.

So much for that plan. Wolf took a moment to reflect on his possible options.

Option 1- He could take the beating like a man and get away with a bruised pride, broken bones and a damaged...er...male distinguisher.

Option 2- He could fight back. No way was he hitting them. It would piss both of them off even more.

Option 3- Gnaw through his hand and run away, like the trapped and desperate wolf he is.

...

So long, lefty. He'll miss you.

Luckily for him, Tsubaki intervened.

"Arashi! What do you think you're doing?" The elder Amamiya boomed, Wolf paling even more, though mayhaps that was from the fact Kanon was now trying to strangle him, the pinkette freezing in her attempt to suffocate him when the older woman had come into the picture. "Didn't I tell you to stay put and rest? Yet, you not only defy my order, you are disturbing what little peace there is!" She glared as Kanon refused to relinquish her hold around his neck, the girl regaining some sense of clear thought and giving a small 'eep' and dropping Wolf, the blond wheezing and breathing deeply a few times.

"And Daiba! I trust Arashi has somehow gained your ire and you are punishing him accordingly, but if you wish to execute him, then do so behind closed doors. Your racket is irritable!"

Wolf nearly raised an eyebrow, looking past his fear and into the amused looking crowd. Most of the gods eaters were laughing up until Tsubaki gave a glare that could've very well freeze hell and melt fire.

Yep, you read right. **Fire**.

"Ah! Um...t-teacher...I...um..." She bowed and apologized, her face reddening again.

"And you two!" Her glare turned to the paling Wolf and sweating Luca. "Since you need to release some energy we'll use it as such for a good cause. Arashi, you will be cleared for a mission tommorow, these two and your sister will accompany you." Tsubaki's scowl deepened. "Non-negotiable."

Wolf gulped.

...On the bright side, it couldn't be that bad, right?

_Cafeteria, 7:37 PM, Den_

It was a well-known fact that dinner was the most disgusting meal of the day, at least it was in the Den, when Sakaki metaphorically... mostly metaphorically force feeds them disgusting concoctions well known to upset more than your taste buds. Heck, sometimes it would upset everything in your body **except** your taste buds, actually. But that hadn't happened for...

Six days...

So, hopefully, there won't be any harm bar usual to the gods eaters chewing what looked like a cross between paste, catterpillars and spoiled eggs.

Kota audibly gulped down the last of his plate, face red from disgusting experiences, far and wide, with Alisa, being the new recruit, having eaten two plates of such...whatever the hell you wanna call it. Another well known fact was that the gods eaters had made a little initiation test. Alisa hadn't been spared, the same having been done to Kota and Wolf, though Wolf had hid his emotions so well, they had no idea if he was enjoying the taste, or simply was very good in facial features.

Of course, they also didn't know who caused that huge mess of vomit over by one of the toilets...they suspected it was Wolf but he had casually pointed out Kota had also done the deed which may have lead to the dirty bowels. Kota had defended himself, accordingly, but...well...

He was Kota. It wasn't exactly above him to lie so he could save some dignity, neither was Wolf but maybe less so.

But you know what they say on suspiscious suspiscions and all.

Soma had also been dragged into the small circle to watch, as he had been forced as usual numerous times already before hand, he went without much of a fuss.

"Ugh," Alisa groaned, holding one hand over her stomach while one gripped hard on the table. "I...dear goodness, how do you all stomach this daily?""Well," Lindow grimaced. "Some don't." He looked pointedly to one gods eater in the corner, who was busy trying not to puke.

"Some have a really bad reaction." Sakuya informed, and Soma visibly flinched, his own bowl, untouched.

"And some...develop an immunity." Kota finished, pointing at the defense squad's table where Brendan was happily chomping away, ignoring the mixed looks of awe, revulsion and exasperation.

Alisa shivered.

"Hey," A cheery voice greeted and all heads turned, a girl wearing headphones smiling at them. "You're my new unit, right?"

"Ah, the new...er...new-type." Lindow chuckled. "Welcome to the Den!"

"Lindow, right?" Saya cheerily asked. "Bro told me you were the squad leader."

At the mention of a sibling, everyone remembered her last name.

"So, that moron has a sister..." Soma gave a look of contemplation, what exactly he was contemplating about, no one knows.

"What, he never mentioned me before?" She frowned, placing her hands on her hips with an audible click of her lips.

"Nope. I wonder why. I mean, he's got such a cute sister!" Of course, Kota had to start with those lines.

"Ahehe, well to be honest," Saya said, sitting down the edge of the bench with a small smile. "I'm...not really surprised."

"Really?" Sakuya raised a delicate eyebrow. "I mean, yeah he doesn't talk much... but shouldn't he have mentioned you once or twice?"

Saya cast a slight frown at the table, her eyes dimming slightly. She made a sound that vaguely sounded like a hymn, a lullaby even, but they couldn't tell. Her voice was drowned in the usual chatter.

"His...**our** past..." Saya finally began. "Is complicated..."

"Your...past?" Alisa questioned.

"Come to think of it, that blond never told us anything about himself." Soma noted, snapping his fingers in irritation over not noticing such a fact.

"So..." Sakuya drawled and all eyes returned to Saya, the girl waving her arms, sporatically.

"Eh...what?"

"Come on, you're his sister." Kota deadpanned. "You can at least give us a bone we can chew on."

Saya looked around, nervously. As if the floor below her would suddenly give way and swallow her. "...He's gonna be angry if he find's out I told you this..."

"He won't." Lindow comforted.

A small sigh escaped her lips, those words didn't magically make her feel better much, if at all. Why did her life get so much more complicated in here? Back in Europe, all she did was get up, train with her sens-...former sensei...have a meal, fend off her friend, Hope's advances then do as she wished for the rest of the day. Who knew becoming a gods eater would make things even more complicated?

"Hey, earth to pinky." Soma snapped his fingers across her face.

"You were saying?" Alisa pressed.

"...You guys have heard of the Philippines, right?"

"Isn't that an archipelago?"

Saya nodded. "It was a country on an archipelago, yeah. But aragami attacks nearly wiped everything off the planet. Now all they're all barren ruins."

"Wait...weren't there settlements there?" Lindow inquired. "What happened to them?"

Saya flinched.

It wasn't an 'Holy-Shit-You-Scared-Me' flinch. It was a full blown, pain telegraphing, emotion filled, recoil of fear. Whatever Lindow had said reminded her of things she'd rather not try to remember.

"All of them..." Saya nervously trailed off.

"Hey, it's okay." Surprisingly, it was Soma who said that, tone gruff as ever and face forever in a scowl, but an underlying kindness was in his eyes. "If you don't wanna talk about you and your brother's life, we won't pressure you." He glared at Kota.

"Right?"

Kota nodded, albeit slowly.

"Well," She sighed. "You'll find out, anyway..."

_Wailing Plains, 6:23 AM, Rendezvous Point_

It was actually that bad.

Rain.

Rain.

And whadda'ya know, more rain.

"What a depressing job." He muttered.

Wolf sneezed, positively freezing under the winter day, covered by the unmoving hurricane. Wind howled and slapped their faces, irritating their eyes and blowing bangs of hair into their faces. He shivered in his jacket, his god arc and it's holster set beside him, ready to go in a moment's notice, and his companions were just as bad or good depending on how you look at it. His little sister had sported a jacket eerily similar to his, excep hers was actually buttoned and closed. Her armlet gleamed brightly on her right arm, crimson reflecting what little light there was in the air. Her legs donned a pair of black baggy pants, filled with pockets packed with pills and traps for the mission, the leg wear also disguising her figure. Wolf absentmindedly noted that those clothes were mostly men's apparel.

He stopped.

Was his sister crossdressing?

He gazed long and hard at the bubblegum pink haired new-type, the said person growing impatient and had started tapping her foot, as if crushing a bug repeatedly. It didn't take long for her to notice the steady look of her brother.

"What?" Saya questioned, her foot stopping as she turned to look at him. "Do I have something on my face?"

Wolf didn't answer for a few seconds before he waved his hand and turned away, not noticing the glimpse Kanon gave them.

For whatever reason though, his gaze landed on Luca Kuroda, the bluenette swinging a buster sword to get a feel of it. Her crimson eyes seemed to glow slightly in the dark, something Wolf found strange, but had not questioned. She looked fine, the exercise having done her some good in the freezing weather.

Finally, there was Kanon.

Wolf grimaced as the poor girl huddled close to a corner, positively ice cold, her clothes not exactly appropriate for the stormy winds and raging rain. Kanon sighed, the pinkette shivering violently, and the girl's teeth chattering as she blew into cupped hands. Wolf took off his Petunia jacket.

It was a jacket for a reason, the outside sopping wet, but the inside dry as a cactus, thanks to the combined layers of cloth along with a small mix of oracle cells. Hopefully, it would help her. Wolf wrapped it around the girl, Kanon smiling slightly and uttering a small 'thanks', slipping it on and zipping it up. Her hands were covered halfway by the sleeves, and her chin dipped slightly into the collar, but it was better than freezing to death.

Saya gave them a cheshire grin that was worthy of the cat itself.

"So...you're his girlfriend..."

"Uh..." Kanon was unsure of what exactly she should say. Wolf seemed to be in the same predicament.

"Oh...wait..." Saya snapped her fingers. "You seriously are! Ha! It's written all over his face!"

And people complained he wasn't expressive enough.

"Oh, I can't believe it! You know how many times I kept on telling him to be more social? Would you believe he's never had a girlfriend? I mean you're probably his first ever partner! He ran this big bar for the owner, miss Yuka! He keep's on using it as an excuse! 'I'm too busy, Saya', 'I don't have time for a relationship, Saya'." She talked rapidly, her lips moving faster than Wolf could read, all the while spouting secrets, embarrassing details and one or two events he'd rather not talk about. He groaned, Luca smiling evilly behind his back and Kanon seemed to be giggling, her lower mouth dipping into his jacket and a steady stream of laughter filtering through the cloth.

A resounding beep from their gauntlet signalled the mission, and they nodded at one another. Wolf holstered his god arc over his white shirt, and they were off, four pairs of steps splashing in mud, covered by the downpour of rain.

Unaware of a pair of golden eyes watching their every step.

A child, looking not a day past a decade of life, gazed with a schooled expression. He turned his sights to a passageway on the other side of the plains, big enough to fit a sizeable bus in. He could hear the growls, hear the hunger in a raspy throat, but it was not worthy of his thought. It was no more than a bug to him. His messy silver hair, weighed down by water, yet his golden eyes shined past them.

_Crack_

Earth crackled behind him, the boy's eyes darting to it with a large scowl. He outstretched his hand, dark tendrils of energy wrapping around it and shifting in every direction, as if a fire was blazing. He didn't remove his eyes from the crackling earth, especially when a hollow door shot out from under it.

_Chsss_

A sound of shattering glass resounded through the cliff, the darkness around his arm breaking along with it, revealing a long, dark scythe, its blade matted with what looked suspiciously like blood. His hand blurred and the scythe was swung in a wide arc towards the door.

"Kronos." He turned to the voice that dare utter his name, his eyes golden orbs focusing as a woman appeared, as if darkness had spat her out and given her form. "Must you always skip your lessons?"

His scythe stopped, sparks flying when an invisible shield protected the woman, a shift in the air constant. She stood over him, towering over the named Kronos by a head, in her bare feet even, and the rain seemed not to affect her, any droplet that came close sliding off an invisible wall and landing back to the dirt, leaving her clothes, a silver dress that matched her hair with one side ending below her knee and the other cutting mid thigh, completely dry.

"Forgive me, mother." He spoke, apathetically, as he was trained to be. Kronos reeled back his scythe the long pole-arm fading as if time had erased it."I simply find no interest in lecture of the court. I know myself as more of a soldier than a poet."

"Even so," She interrupted. "Father requires an heir. You have been chosen and must so obey."

"If you wish it, then I shall commit."

She nodded her head, silver strands falling and framing her face. "Still observing them?"

Kronos remained silent, the woman placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and walking past him.

"I cannot say I approve of such curiosity, but I shan't stop my child and prince's mind. Perhaps you will learn why we do not associate with such beasts."

"I give you my thanks."

"Just make sure you are not tempted to be one of their race."

"Such a thought," Kronos looked at the gods eaters, the four engaging their second ogretail in battle. "Never crossed my mind, mother Gaia."

A flash of lightning, and they were gone.

Wolf ripped away the last chunks of the ogretail, the beast laying dead and dissolving into a black sludge that disappeared into the earth, it's core in the gods arc of the blond.

"Whew...that should be it for today."

"Finally! C'mon, I don't wanna find out if gods eaters can get sick." Saya hurried, sick of the rain.

"Oracle cells make it near impossible to cause illness. Didn't you do your homework?" Luca questioned.

Saya stuck out her tongue and bonked her head lightly, in a cute manner. "Nope. Sorry."

Whilst Luca berated her, Kanon looked nervously around.

"Kanon," Wolf called. "You alright? You seem...twitchy."

"I just...feel like something's wrong."

"Well then," Wolf placed his blade back on his back, the magnet activating and latching it on. "We'd better hurry back. I don't wanna deal with something worse, just yet."

Kanon kneeled, lightly touching the ground.

_**thump**_

_**thump**_

_**thump**_

Her eyes widened.

"Wolf!" She panicked. "Watch out!"

And a Vajra barelled through a stone wall, bashing into him and sending him flying back. His body flew through the air and landed in a heap, opposite the direction of his team. He rolled up, his god arc at the ready, while his other hand nursed his injured chest, the burning pain making Wolf wheeze as he tried to force air back in his lungs.

"A Vajra..." Kanon grimaced. "Crap."

"Nii-chan!" Saya screamed in worry, her own god arc morphing into a gun and firing rapid shots, but the Vajra didn't even flinch. Regardless, she certainly gained it's attention. It roared furiously, the tiger-like aragami leaping high in the air and crossing the distance with one giant bound.

"Scatter!" Luca shouted, and they complied. All of them jumped away, Saya in this case, flipping back like a gymnast from years of training, and avoiding the Vajra, the aragami impacting with enough force to crack the ground, earth rupturing around it and causing a small tremor around the battlefield.

Kanon regained her footing and braced herself, firing round after round at it as Saya and Luca charged in. A paw swiped at Luca and the bluenette jumped over it and came crashing down with her god arc slamming it's face in and getting a roar of pain for her efforts. Saya dashed in on it's confusion and swiped her knife across it's leg, the blade cutting it open to release a fountain of blood that landed a few drops on her cheek. Kanon backpedalled, avoiding the lightning ball sent her way before she dashed in, keeping low to the ground ot minimize herself, the aragami not noticing her as Saya and Luca had at it.

**30 meters**

Her hand dug into a pouch.

**20 meters**

She flicked a pill into her mouth.

**10 meters**

She swallowed and the Vajra noticed her.

**5 meters**

A massive paw swiped at her. She steadied her breath.

**2 meters**

Kanon ducked on foot in front of the other, performing a perfect baseball slide under the claws of the Vajra that passed inches above her face. She slid, the mud carrying her under the Vajra and, with her gun at the ready, she unloaded a salvo of frost. The pinkette got up running, her face stained with a mixture of water, blood and mud, as well as a pill already being chewed for her oracle levels. She encircled the Vajra, the beast unprepared as Wolf got back in the fray, his eyes flashing gold as he attacked with viciousness perfect for a berserker.

_Your eyes were never that scary_

Kanon froze.

"Pinky!" Luca shouted, avoiding when one lightning bolt almost shocked her into sleep. "What's wrong! Stop staring and shoot this fucker!"

Kanon snapped out of her daze and charged back in.

Wolf blocked a backhand from the aragami's paw, the force enough to lift him off the ground and launching into a wall. He righted himself, his feet bending as the wall cracked under his feet, Wolf ignoring the numbness in his legs and launching himself up and towards the Vajra, it's cape glowing wth sparks.

"Wait!" Kanon screamed and he barely had enough time to jump back when the dome of electricity exploded outwards.

Wolf scowled, the Vajra's dome already disappearing. He, Saya and Luca encircled the beast, trapping it in a formation with Kanon looking over them, her trigger finger just itching to move. Wolf smirked and the Vajra roared, the chaos once again ensuing.

For the next moments of his life, all Wolf saw were claws, fangs and blood. Claws of the Vajra nearly gutted him while fangs nearly crushed his ribcage, the Vajra's attacks vicious and unpredictable. But soon enough, the battle was winding down. It was getting more sluggish, it's movements more predictable and it's limbs struggling just to keep standing, their style of fighting, a style that focused on speed and tactics to overcome the brute force of an aragami, a system designed and perfected through years of practice that it could be considered an art form.

They were winning.

Wolf panted, his breathing nothing but ragged, and his team members weren't better off, the Vaja saggering back a desperate looke in its eyes.

But they were getting tired too.

"Saya!" He called for his sister. "You still have those bullets?"

"I've got three left." She nodded.

"Burst Mode."

"You got it."

Wolf dashed forward, Saya's god arc pointing straight at him, and Kanon shooting bullets over their heads. Luca occupied it with skill that exceeded her rank, dancing around a swipe to use her momentum and delivering crippling blows.

"Kick it's butt!' Saya grinned.

And he felt three orbs of energy fuse into his back.

A purple aura swirled around him and his blade, his attributes skyrocketing as his sword glew purple.

Power.

It might have been the only thing flowing in his veins. When he though burst was liberating...this...this was just overkill. His sword seemed so light and his body even more so. His legs blurred as he ran full sprint at the Vajra, leaning in and kicking up dust as he sped past a shocked Luca.

"Let's wrap this up."

His sword blurred and the Vajra fell to it's side, blood spurting out of it's missing leg, the aragami crashing into a heap and writhing in pain. Wolf smirked and morphed his god arc.

"Eat this."

And a lightning ball drilled into its skull.

Kanon ran up to Wolf, the Vajra twitching and then falling silent. She released a sigh of relief, the medic hearing a cheer from Saya behind her.

"Hey, Wolf." She turned to him, a smile on her lips.

And she saw a sight that would haunt her.

Wolf's eyes pulsed gold, blood marring his features. His eyes were wide and filled with an insane glint. He enjoyed this...this slaughter. His senses were overthrown by the sheer amount of gore, and he realized the Vajra wasn't enough.

No.

He needed more and a smile for those not right of mind crept up his lips.

"W-Wolf?" Kanon stepped back.

Wolf's eyes flickered back into blue and he clutched at his head, as if he had taken a blow to his cranium. He turned to Kanon, the girl afraid and recoiling when he reached out with a hand. He grew somber and drew it back.

"Shit, watch out!" Luca shouted in warning.

Wolf's hand acted faster than his thoughts and he pushed Kanon away.

A blinding pain in his side.

A sense of flying through the air.

His body crumpling into a heap on the ground.

He coughed, feeling blood trickle at his side, and he couldn't gather enough courage to look.

A sound of a dying beast.

"Wolf!"

Kanon...

"Nii-chan!"

He forced one eye open, though he dare not look at his injury. His arm grew slack and he noticed his god arc was nowhere in his palm, the blade stuck into the Earth and embedded in the rain ways away from him.

"Y-you..." Kanon stumbled over her words, the girl already bringing out her med-kit and desperately looking for bandages. "Why did you...?"

"Nii-chan."

He could see Saya's worried face. "You'll be fine...you'll be fine. Right?"

Kanon shakily nodded, her hands tearing open his shirt even while she trembled.

**God, there was so much blood.**

His world started to spin.

"Wolf..."

Why was everything getting darker?

"Don't die on me."

* * *

><p><strong>Alright!<strong>

**Chapters will start to get longer as the story progresses! I aim to make this have one hundred thousand words before it hits the chapter twenty!**

**also...**

**h3AdS1aMM3r: His reunion was short, I know. But I made Wolf out to be one of those 'regretting heroes' or protagonist or emo dude, and as such his reunion with his sister HAD to be short.**

**1- A direct jab at her red eyes and blue hair. Blue+Red= Purple which, in Japanese, means the same color.**


	13. Invisible

_Beep_

_Beep  
><em>

_Beep_

A digital heartbeat rang out, echoing around the walls of the white room, filled with nothing more than a bench and monitoring equipment befitting its purpose. A pair of souls rest within its confines, one in a deep slumber, the other looking at her companion with an expression telling of shame. Kanon brushed her hand close with Wolf's, giving it a reassuring squeeze, the new-type remaining asleep peacefully under the sheets, his chest rising and falling in a slow pattern.

The medic hadn't gotten any food for a while, aside from the usual dirt-_ excuse her_- ration bar, as food was not allowed in the advanced medical facilites, such as the one housing them right now. She'd refused to leave his side for anything less than a quick break, as well, only stepping out to get a soda and eat a quick candy bar lest she die of starvation. But even then, her snack and return trip lasted only a few minutes. She was too worried for her own good.

For two and a half days, Wolf had been unresponsive, and for two and a half days she had stayed beside him, unwilling to leave and absent herself.

Kanon glanced wistfully at the clock. Some of the doctors around the den had predicted his awakening from the coma they had put him in, and he was scheduled to wake up in only a few hours from now, maybe less.

"Wolf..." The girl mumbled under her breath.

His side had been deeply lacerated. Deep enough that the claw had grazed his organs, and would have punctured his kidney if it got any more so. As it was, if the Vajra had an inch longer set of claws, Wolf would have bled out and died, even if they doubled the blood pills they had shoved down his throat. Worse, he had been injured for her sake.

_Her._

A klutz even to her own team, along with the highest misfire rates in all of _Fenrir._

And the damned aragami had swung so blindly, so wildly...

So _ predictably..._

A rookie could have seen an attack coming from a mile away. Wolf could have gotten away, he could have left her and just blocked with his shield, he could have just _ducked_ under the goddamned paw and she'd be the one under the bed, she'd be the one in a medically induced coma.

She'd be the one who nearly died.

Now, because of her freezing in a life-or-death situation, Wolf, of all people, was in intensive care.

Kanon hated the dread of guilt, she hated seeing Wolf's blood stained clothes, his red bandages because they reminded her it was not his fault he was knocking on death's door.

It was hers.

Even though the Vajra was an unexpected enemy...

Even though everyone had told her otherwise...

It was her fault, no matter how they looked at it. It was entirely her fault Wolf's name had nearly wound up in the KIA lists.

Kanon hated the dread of guilt.

But she **_despise_**_**d **_the feeling of uselessness.

A triplet of of near silent taps to the door alerted her to a visitor, and a moment later, the door folded into the wall, revealing the first unit commander and the squad medic.

"Oh...Lindow, Sakuya." Kanon put up a small smile.

"Hey, Kanon." Lindow cheekily greeted.

The cheery attitude of the commander had once confounded Kanon. Lindow had always put up a cheery smile and a large grin, no matter how sever the situation. He'd done so numerous times whether he was the one in a hospital bed, or otherwise. Such optimism was rare, and Kanon had come to find that it was exactly why Lindow was...well, Lindow.

If no one saw the veil of light in a shadow, who would be able to keep their will to fight?

Kanon douted the commander didn't have any doubts,, didn't have any fears. Rather he kept it all away, in the deepest recess of his subconscious while as he dealt with them slowly, he helped those who weren't as strong. But...

Every skill has a downside.

Carrying all the weight of his own insecurities...alone...

She realized Wolf was, in a way, very much like Lindow.

"How is he?" Sakuya asked with a somber smile.

"Oh...his bleeding stopped, and any sign of swelling and infection has disappeared completely." Kanon turned back to the sleeping blonde. "He's recovering well..."

Lindow nodded. "And you?"

"Huh?" Kanon moved her gaze to them again. "I'm fine."

Sakuya shook her head, the fellow medic clasping a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Kanon, you've been here since he was injured. Go get some rest. I'll look after him for now."

Kanon looked ready to object, but not only was the idea tempting, Sakuya was giving her _the smile_.

A very sweet smile that somehow screamed 'Big sister knows what's best. Don't cross me or _else_' that would make even Lindow back down.

She sighed, and the pinkette gave one last glance to Wolf before slowly nodding her head. Sakuya smiled and ushered her out. "Go on. I heard the cafeteria's serving rice balls."

"My treat!" Lindow yelled after. "So have as much as you want!"

Kanon nodded absently.

_Fenrir, 1:26 PM, Cafeteria_

A pleasant ding from the lift alerted gods eaters to another of their kin, ready for lunch as they were, yet the sight of a tired Kanon greeted them with foreign ethnicity. Usually, the pinkette would be talking pleasantly with one of her squad or one of the third unit, and on other occasions, the blonde new-type that had been accompanying her with a slight upward twist at his lips. But the medic that had been a walking ball of sunshine looked like someone had killed her family now and with it, came the angst written all over her face. Any small chatter died out when the girl absentmindedly took her lunch away without even a word and sat by herself at a lone table, in a manner not unlike Soma's common broodiness. Silence was never much of an embraced manner in the den, perhaps it had to do something with the fact most gods eaters hadn't even come of age yet. Perhaps it's because everyone needed to get away from the nightmare-ish world they were made to fight in, the life and death situations, the faces of lost comrades that haunted their dreams so vividly...

But silence overtook the room so easily.

Word had spread quickly about the incident pertaining to Wolf's injuries. It would be rather hard to hide the bleeding, broken and half-dead body of the blonde after the mission had gone fubar. Not when she wanted the rookie to get some treatments as fast as possible. It also didn't help she was stuttering out details at a rapid pace, trying to debrief Lindow on what had happened...in front of the whole Den, no less.

Sneakiness was never once labeled on her profile of strengths for a reason.

Her stomach growled and she sighed. She didn't realize how hungry she was before now. She'd been honestly worried sick and hadn't payed much attention to whatever pangs of hunger that had surfaced.

_"Always a screw-up, that girl." _She froze for a second in her reach for a second rice ball, before continuing on and ignoring the whispers.

_"-can't believe they let her become a gods eater."_ Or tried to, at least.

_"-lways such a mess-up." _She clenched her hand tightly.

_"-ven shoot right."_ Her knuckles were turning white.

"Hey, Daiba."

Kanon turned to the voice. "Oh, Shun...guys...hi."

Shun was a teen around her age. His purple hair stuck out in odd manners within his cap, the shade matching the jumpsuit he wore underneath his green jacket. He was also usually one of her more 'disliking' companions. He didn't like to have her on missions with him, he didn't like to have to 'babysit her', in his words, and Kanon couldn't actually blame him.

Along with him was her team leader.

Tatsumi was usually an easy-going guy. He was nice to her, and all. But now, his cheery smile had been replaced with a worried look. His brown hair was in it's usual style, which is to say, none. He had said he had never really tried to right his hair. It just stayed like that. His apparel consisted of a red jacket with a plain red shirt underneath. Along with white khaki and red sneakers.

And finally, there was Gina.

A female sniper that had lost an eye because of an incident that had occurred within the ghettos before she joined the gods eaters. She hadn't given Kanon the full details, but it involved something about the bad company she kept, Gina hadn't said anything more. Her outfit consisted of a purple jacket _(does everyone wear a jacket here? It's not even that chilly...) _and a shirt, Kanon would hardly call a shirt. Black fitting pants and boots, along with an eye-patch running across her right pupil, concealing it.

Shun was evidently the first to speak, as the others knew her on a first-name basis.

"What's got you so down?"

"I'm fine." Kanon forced a smile.

"You don't look like it." Gina sat beside her.

"You're worried about the new-type, right?" Tatsumi inquired.

The pink haired gunner stiffened again before she forced herself to relax.

"I heard you guys had to fight a Vajra." Shun said."Is he alright?"

"He's in intensive care, of course he's not alright!" Gina thumped the purple haired teen's forehead.

Shun yelped, rubbing the burning sensation and glaring at the sniper. Kanon put a smiled slightly at the display, bringing a bit of the usual smile on the others' face.

"He'll live." Kanon answered.

"I can't believe he let his guard down, just like that." Shun scoffed. "He's lucky he didn't get sent to the cremation office."

Kanon remained silent, the small smile disappearing almost immediately from her lips. Her leader noticed this and waved his arms frantically, in fear of having upset her more.

"But he's fine! He'll get better, I'm sure of it!" Tatsumi cried.

"He...it wasn't his fault." She muttered, biting her upper lip while her hand unconsciously clenched tighter, crushing her soda can with an angry look directed to the steel table. "...He...the Vajra surprised me and he...Wolf pushed me outta the way."

Shun flinched at Gina's death glare.

"I...gotta go." Kanon abruptly stood up. "See you guys around."

She was tired, dirty and angry at herself.

A bath and her bed would fix the first two...

But the third would take some time.

_Fenrir, 5:42PM, Medical Ward F_

_Beep_

Ugh, that sound was so annoying.

_Beep_

Can't he be left to sleep in peace?

_Beep_

Okay, that was eating away at his last remains of patience.

_Beep_

"Will someone turn that thing off!" Wolf screamed, eyes clenched shut.

"Ah, rookie." Lindow's voice rang, alerting the new-type to his presence. "You're awake."

Wolf opened his eyes, and immediately, he wished he didn't. His throbbing skull's headache seemed to multiply a dozen-fold, and he shut his eyes with a hiss. Curse this infernal hospital, and it's white walls, it's white lights and white uniforms. He sword doctors did made it like this to cause some sort of damage in the eyes of the wards, where they would then take over the world as everyone was too busy blinded. He could just picture it now. _Doctor Revolution! Join our Vision!_

...

Crap, what shit did they put inside him, now?

He hated doctors for some reason. Couldn't stand to be anywhere close to the lab coats with the smell of disinfectant and, in some cases, blood. He hated the needles that pricked his skin, the smells that would make his nose burn like someone had lit a firecracker inside of it. He always has, and always will. Hell, Kanon was the closest person to a doctor he had socialized with for a while, and she was just a field medic.

"Just a second." Another, more female voice spoke. Sakuya?

A sound of a flicked switch.

"Okay, try it now."

Slowly, Wolf opened his eyes to the dark ceiling overhead, a grimace playing on his lips. forcing one of his numb arms to move, he anchored it at his sides and pushed himself up, cringing when a sharp pain lanced through his side. His bed sheets fell over, revealing slightly stained bandages over his bare torso, the side of it leaking red with what he supposed was his blood.

"You've been hospitalized three times in the same week. Jeez, Wolf. I know you like Kanon, but there's more than one way to see her." Lindow lightly joked, having to dodge a pillow thrown to his head a second later. "Getting violent, already?"

Wolf sighed, eyes landing directly on the grinning commander. His room may be black as night, but oracle cells helped with those kinds of issues.

"What happened?" The blonde inquired.

"You took a truck sized slap upside the head." Lindow answered. "Followed by the world's biggest swan dive."

"Way to explain, big boss." Sakuya rolled her eyes. "Kanon was worried about you, you know?" Her hand went back to her hip, as usual.

"Is she alright?"

"Came out fine, thanks to you." Lindow replied cheekily. "But she wouldn't leave your room. Probably would still be here if Sakuya didn't tell her to take a breather."

"And Saya? Luca?"

"Both of 'em are fine." Lindow waved off. "Your sister's been just as worried, but she's still going around, and that Luca girl's a third unit rookie now."

"You've been getting hurt a lot, you know?" Sakuya crossed her arms with a worried look. "Maybe you should take a vacation?"

"I'll be fine." Wolf waved it off. "Sorry to cause so much trouble."

Lindow laughed. "Apologizing for being hospitalized?"

Sakuya slapped his arm. "Oh, shush Lindow. Come on, he need's to rest, and that's easier without your teasing."

"Yes, ma'am!" Lindow winked at Wolf. "You heard her. Get some actual rest this time. No sneaking off. You can see your girlfriend later. Doc's orders."

Wolf grunted in affirmation, nursing his head. "Shit, this goddamned headache is gonna be the death of me."

"Get some rest. I'll tell Kanon and Saya you're awake later." Sakuya said, one foot out the door along with Lindow, both waving goodbye to him. The door closed and once again engulfed the room in total darkness.

...

Hey, they forgot his music player!

Wolf allowed a small and smug chuckle to escape his lips. He started it up in an almost remote manner, as he had done times before. Bright light from the small screen flooded his eyes but he dealt with it. He could take a little pain for some of his tunes. Scanning the playlist with a dreary eye, he gave up finding a song that would fit his choice a second later, and just pressed the play button.

**_Yokubou kensou kakehiki uzumaku an daashiti_**

_Shigoto seikou yume kibou motomeru mosatachi_

'Trickery=Casino' - Perfect! He can knock himself out with a song about gambling!

_Beep_

Plus, it would get rid of that god forsaken beeping.

**_Baaten diiraa gyanburaa atsumaru kajino de_**

_Anata no daijina mono zenbu kakemashou」_

He absentmindedly tapped his bedside, leaning himself against the back of the railing of his bed and forcing his back to keep to the cold wall, while he derived the beat from the music.

_**Meni mo tomaranu kamiwaza de** _**Show Time!**

_Unmei tekina shichueeshon de yuugi ban wa mawari dasu_

**_Kanpai? Ushinau no wa 「Okane」 ka 「Puraido」ka?_**

_Me o _t_ojita sono suki ni kokoro goto ubatte agemashou_

His eyes drifted to the door. It was tempting...plus he was sure there weren't any locks in the medical wards, probably because the patients wouldn't even be able to stand and walk to feet before doing a magnificent example of a face plant. But he could walk, though he could use some painkillers, as well.

_Koyoi no geemu wa nan dai?_

**_Hodoyoi shigeki o choudai_**

_Toranpu 5-mai dake soroeru kantan na gēmu_

**_Burafu de semeru nante taikutsu sugiru ze?__  
><em>**

But what the hell could he do here? No way was he going back to sleep. He'd never really slept that much and his body had adjusted, accordingly. He was used to having late Zs and early alarm clocks, so to speak, and right now, he was pretty well rested. Aside from the throbbing pain in his side and the blinding headache that made him wanna tear his own arm off just so he could focus on something else, he was fine. Perfectly fine.

_Kanpai? Ushinau no wa 「Yume」 ka 「Puraido」 ka?_

**_Me o tojita sono ura ni itai hodo kizande agemashou_**

_..._

**_Saigo no geemu wa nan dai?_**

Maybe he could just limp out into his room. He was sure he kept a bottle of painkillers in his cabinet. He could get one...or two...or twenty...and be fine for the rest of the day. At least, he hoped he would be. He didn't want to know what 'drug overdose' plus 'violent new-type superhuman' could create.

...

_**Saigo no geemu wa nan dai?**_

_Ikasama darake no shouhai_

_**Saikoro ⇔ rooru o kurikaesu kantan na geemu**_

_Odds Bet de 3-bai taikutsu sugiru wa_

But to hell with reason, he'd rather die than stay still!

"Nii-chan!"

Wolf nodded to himself. Besides, he had very nearly not gotten caught the last time. He'd just have to be careful.

"Nii-chan!" Did someone call him?

...

Oh, well. Back to his schemes.

**_Meni mo tomaranu kamiwaza de Show Time!_**

_Zettai tekina shichueeshon de yuugi ban wa mawari dasu_

**_Kanpai? Ushinau no wa 「Kami」 ka 「Puraido」 ka?_**

_Me o tojiru hima mo nai? Kokoro goto kuzushite agemashou_

"Nii-chan!" Saya Arashi screamed at an unholy decimal, right next to his ear.

"Gaah!" Wolf cried out in pain, his little sister giving him a childish pout, whilst his eardrums rang irritably in his cranium.

_Meni mo tomaranu kamiwaza de Show Time!_

**_Kandou tekina shichueeshon de yuugi ban wa mawari dasu_**

_Gyakuten? Ushinatta no wa 「Ai」 ka 「Puraido」 ka?_

**Me o tojita sono suki ni kokoro goto ubatte agemashou_  
><em>**

"Was that really necessary?" Wolf pointedly glared, taking off his earphones after the last lyrics and pocketing them. His headache throbbed, but he ignored it as best he could.

"Nope!" Saya beamed at him. "But it's the most fun way to take you out of your thoughts!"

Wolf sighed.

"So," His sister turned serious. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Wolf said. "Now, help me up, will you? I need to go get some painkillers."

"No can do." Saya ignored the betrayed look from him. "Besides, you've got enough morphine in your body to numb an elephant. I'd rather not add more meds to your system, if I can help it."

Wolf growled. "Well, then, whaddaya want?"

"Can't I just visit my lovely aniki?"

Wolf gave her a suspicious look.

"Okay..." Saya sighed. "...I wanna know more about your girlfriend."

Of course. Saya always was a romantic at heart. No matter how much she denied it. He still had some of those cheesy romance novels she read...and sometimes, wrote. He'd give her props though, his little sibling had a good parchment for writing...come to think of it, how did his bright haired, loud, and _cute_ little sister get a drop on him? His door should have opened and blinded him with pain derived from artificial light.

"Kanon?" Wolf raised an eyebrow. "I nearly get bisected in the waist, and you're more concerned about my love life?"

Saya frowned. "Oh, come on! You know I love you, bro. But..." Saya's eyes seemed to sparkle. "your first girlfriend is so cute!"

Yeah, _that _wasn't misleading. Crap, was his sister into other girls? He had no complaints, and not for the reasons you're thinking of! Don't deny it! If you're above preschool, you would have at least had an image conjuring in your heads! He simply respected his sister's choice in life...mostly...

HE WAS A GUY TOO, DAMN IT!

Ignoring that insectous line of thinking...is that even a word?

"Why don't you ask her?" Wolf annoyingly questioned, looking at his sister with a small frown.

"Pleeeeeaaaaaase!" Crap, she was giving him the puppy dog eyes.

_Crack!_

Well, there goes his willpower.

Wolf sighed in defeat. "What do you want to know?"

Saya grinned in victory, once again. Sometimes, her brother was so easy to predict.

"You're gonna help me into my room first."

He gave her a triumphant look.

_Beep_

Goddamn it.

* * *

><p>Alisa moved quickly through the crowd of gods eaters, making a straight line to the lift. She was in a hurry, and for good reason, at least in her perspective. Dr. Oguruma, a Fenrir physician and engineer had scheduled another meeting. Honestly, did Fenrir really think her so unstable she required even more therapeutic help after seven years of that crap? If she hadn't gone crazy and aimed her gun at some unfortunate other, she was pretty sure she wouldn't do it, at least not on purpose or good reason. But offense was not the reason she was heading to the man's office.<p>

It was the man, himself.

When she had first met him, Alisa had never trusted him. His eyes would shine with kindness, and he would give her gifts, shower her even in such luxurious dresses and jewelry. He would act like a father, one that would wish nothing more than to spoil his daughter. Alisa didn't mind that. She would have even fallen for his 'nature, maybe even ask him to adopt her...

If it were not for the cruel and twisted curiosity she could see behind those facade of emotions.

No...when Alisa had first met him, she had not greeted him with a smile. Not with happy thoughts.

She greeted him with a fake grin and warning bells blaring in her head, nevermind the fact she was barely over twelve at the time.

And so, here she was rushing in...

"Sooner I get this over with," She growled. "the better."

She quickly gave one flick of her hair and stepped out of the lift, now in the lower levels of the earth, dug by man and built by machines. Alisa scanned the place, blue eyes peering from under her silver hair.

Strange...

No one else was here. Usually, the place was packed with scientists running around like headless chickens just to accomplish their tasks for the day. She shook her head, and forced herself to move forward. What could possibly go wrong?

"Hello, Alisa." A voice greeted with an underlying tone from behind a curtain.

"Dr. Oguruma?" She shakily called out. Dear goodness, this was sounding like a horror movie now.

"Come sit. I'll be with you in a moment."

She would have complied...

Had arms not wrapped around her neck in a restraining manner, and pressed a needle into her back. Alisa stiffened. Why couldn't she move?

"Well, then, shall we get started?" Oguruma chuckled, coming out of the curtain with an injection filled with a strange yellow liquid.

"You...you son of a bitch! What are you doing?!"

"Simple." Oguruma said. "You see, the first unit commander is getting quite nosy in business not meant for his eyes. So, we require his...resignation. Of course, we can't do anything suspicious to him..." He smiled rather, in Alisa's opinion, lecherously at her. "but...luckily, we don't have to. We just have to get someone to do it for us."

"You expect me to kill Lindow? Do you seriously think I won't just rip out of this fool's grasp-" She gestured to the brute holding her neck. "and escape?"

"But my dear," Oguruma cupped her face. "you won't have a choice. You seriously think we put water in that injection we gave you?"

Alisa spit on his face.

"Insolent-!" Oguruma scowled. "Get the program ready! A process like this must be perfect or we may damage her mind."

"You won't get away with this, monster." Alisa growled as she was dragged away and forced down into a seat, buckles strapping her head forward unto a screen.

"Even if I don't, you don't need to worry." He smirked, cockily. "I have the most powerful man's support on this."

"Director Johannes..." Alisa scowled.

"tut, tut, tut." He waved his finger, mockingly. "I'm not talking about the director. Someone else has the crown in this world." He took a crumpled piece of paper from his coat and showed it to her.

No...

He couldn't mean...

A golden wolf insignia decorated the bottom, along with a fancy script.

"President's...seal..."

"Even that man knows," Oguruma chuckled. "Do you know his name? Quite a shocker, really. He even has two grandchildren you know."

"His...name?"

Oguruma nodded. "He's rather protective of it. But seeing as you won't remember anything after this...then I see no point in keeping secrets from you."

"What...is it?" Her head was spinning...

"Ryu..." He smirked. "Ryu Arashi."

And then, her world exploded into yellow.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! Chapter took longer, but I have tests, so be thankful I updated at all.<strong>

**Anyway, making this short, so...**

**Review! Or give me a PM...something!**

**Also, won't be updating this for a while. Not long enough to be on hiatus but not short enough for next week. I need to do some drafts, erase some mistakes, do a few chapters over again, and I'm also trying to make a good drawing. I'm almost there! Almost!  
><strong>

**Also, I've revised chapter 1, so if you haven't seen it yet, then please read it.  
><strong>


	14. What Lies Beneath

**COVER IS FINIIIIIIIIIIIIISSHHHHEEEDDD **

**BOOYAH!**

**...**

**On to the story, then...**

* * *

><p>Wolf unsteadily stood up to his feet, wobbling once or twice while he forced his limbs to cooperate. Pain would stab at his side with every twitch of movement, but he'd deal with it in exchange for a chance to stretch his legs from his quarters. He liked his room, sure. He'd kept some working speakers in there and was free to blast it as loud as he could, thanks to his room being soundproof. But he was no caveman. He'd also inquired Sakaki on exactly <em>why<em> his room was soundproofed, along with all the other gods eaters' quarters, only to be given a very unnerving smile, as if the doctor was thinking if he could use this piece of curiosity to his amusement. Even though, Wolf was sure it wouldn't be _that_ crazy...Kanon was right, after all. Doc was a bit eccentric, but he was a good man.

But come to think of it, that sounded exactly like Paylor's morbid sense of humor...

Clipping the last of his straps to his black boots, the blonde forced himself once again to stand. He secured his black and sleeveless turtleneck unto a comfortable placement, and by comfortable I mean less painful, in order to hide the bandages wrapped tightly around his torso. Once the pile was successfully hidden to Wolf's standards, the new-type exited his room with his usual stride, though, as he found, walking with a side injury was not a pleasant experience. He took a steady pace up to the lift. He could only hope no one but Kanon, Saya and Luca, as well as a few informed didn't spread news of his injuries. He really didn't want to bullshit his way out of the hospital ward again.

"Didn't Lindow tell you to take it easy?"

And crap, he really had to work on his stealth skills.

"I'm fine, Sakuya." He grunted out.

His team medic raised an eyebrow to his word, prompting him to sigh. "Really. I'm only walking, and I'm worried about Kanon. Knowing her, she's gonna blame herself for this."

Sakuya sighed. She placed one hand to her forehead, signalling her quiet annoyance at Wolf's inability to lay down and _stay _down in a hospital issue bed.

"Please don't tell Lindow or, god forbid, Tsubaki." Wolf pleaded, though his uncaring persona was still displayed, prominently._  
><em>

"...I never saw you. I swear, Lindow was bad enough. Now, I have to put you back together, as well." She rubbed her forehead to stage off the oncoming headache.

"If it helps, the stress doesn't show." Wolf said, as an afterthought, already moving back to the lift.

"Unfortunately," Sakuya smiled slightly at his back, "it doesn't."

The lift door closed in front of him, showing Sakuya waving goodbye shortly before it shut. Wolf leaned back to the wall, the back of his head feeling the cold steel of the elevator while it hummed it s machinated song, steadily bringing him up to the lobby where he hoped Kanon would be. He absentmindedly ignored the subtle feeling of a plummeting gut, the slight nausea being brushed aside after he had gotten accustomed to the tech Licca had supposedly designed and built. His hand wrapped around the small necklace dangling from his chest, the other tucked into his pocket for no reason.

Saya's arrival into his life once again had been a happy yet frustrating moment of his short term in Fenrir. On one hand, he was happy at the sight of his little sister's usual acts of mischief. On the other hand, the one he had chosen to long ago dub as the 'un-fun hand' was rather annoyed at her for disobeying his words.

But then again, their master had died. Saya would have undoubtedly been on her own for a long time after that. He was sure the only reason she didn't come back earlier was the lack of funds to properly bribe- sorry, _persuade_ a high enough official to have her flown back. He'd been rather unsure on what exactly to do with her, but the fact was it was out of his hands. His little sister was a gods eater now, and he had no jurisdiction over her, not unless he suddenly got promoted as the head of the branch when Johannes suddenly started becoming a lazy arse, rather than the strict bastard everyone knew him for being.

Yeah, right.

As of now, his sibling is in the most dangerous line of work known to humankind. Wolf grit his teeth, the elevator doors opening and allowing him to step into the lobby of the den, the atmosphere severely more tame, as the few gods eaters filed in for late night patrols around the ghetto's anti aragami fence. He scanned his eyes around the floor, searching for the pink mop of the bipolar pinkette.

_Fenrir, 8:23 AM, Lobby_

Kanon was happier.

Not happy, but _happier_.

After her little nap and bath, she had been awarded with news of Wolf's awakening. She could have jumped for joy in that moment, but instead opted to run past Lindow in a war path to Wolf's room. Her day would get sufficiently better if he could see him playing with his music, ignoring all of his surroundings, as he usually did. It would give her a sense of security, that he didn't hate her. Didn't blame the whole thing on her. Comforts from him always seemed to be better than anyone else's. Perhaps it was because he was the one who took the full brunt of the consequences, or perhaps she simply valued his opinion more so than most others. Whatever the reason, Kanon wanted to see him up, smiling and being his usual smart-ass of a human being.

Which is why she was rather distraught when she found his room empty and barren, with absolutely no sign of him.

Now, anyone who knows Wolf would have immediately concluded he simply chose to get away from the utter boredom of medically induced painkillers, and was now lugging himself around the place with no interest in his well-fare, what-so-ever.

Kanon, of course, decided to find him and add an extra beat-down for his sheer disregard of medical orders to his list of injuries.

**"WOOOOOOOLLLLLLLFFFFFF!"**

Yep, she was gonna kill him.

Gods eaters of varied ages stared at her, some backing away lest they find themselves having a chat with her fist. Most knew not to get in the way of the small medic when she was like this, as when someone tried, it would usually end with another person losing his consciousness for a good while. And she seriously asks why people think she's having her period that day. Her little rampage across the grounds led her to the bottom of the lobby, where Hibari seemed to sigh and point to her right, Kanon's head turning slowly and there, having not a care in the world was the target, listening to his music with a bored expression on his face whilst he sat casually on the couch, his chin being propped up by his hand. He was fine, looking like he didn't even have an injury. Anyone could have been fooled he was in perfect shape. But Kanon could see his side tense every few seconds and then forcibly relax. Plus, he didn't even notice her, which was strange considering she was glaring at him quite hard. Baring her teeth, Kanon moved in front of him, cocked back her fist, the crowd looked nervous as the pinkette looked to be about to clobber the blonde. A few steps more, and she was close enough, the girl threw her fist at his face...

...and poked his cheek.

"Oh, Kanon," Wolf grinned at her, "what's up?"

Luckily, he kinda expected the punch that followed after.

Leaning his head back to avoid the telegraphed maneuver, Wolf grabbed the pinkette's outstretched arm and pulled, Kanon's whole body being yanked along with it. Wolf then proceeded to wrap his arms around her in a bear hug, stopping her assault unto his well-being short with a dry smirk while she was forced to sit on his lap. Kanon kicked and writhed in his grasp, her feet lashing out in every direction as she struggled to break free, but Wolf held her, still.

"Let me go!"

"Why?"

"So I can kick your ass!"

"Sorry, I like having feeling in my arms." He placed his chin on her shoulder, his usual schooled look back on it, "I'll just cuddle you affectionately until you settle down."

"Stop being creepy!"

Wolf didn't listen, of course. He remained still while Kanon kept on trying to force her way out, to no avail. Gods eaters around them shook their heads while some of the others laughed at the site of a further enraged medic, screaming bloody murder and threats of dismemberment to the one holding her down with a bored expression. Finally, after minutes of screaming and trashing, Kanon stopped. Wolf basked in the relative silence with a rather cocky smirk. I say relative because Kanon was still muttering profanities at him.

"You done?"

Kanon sighed, "I'm done."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"How sure?"

Kanon growled.

Wolf let her go.

His girlfriend stood up abruptly, though Wolf could see the blush around her cheeks that threatened to take over her face, the medic taking a seat beside him but avoiding looking him directly in the eye.

"...How's your side?" She mumbled.

"Fine."

"Any pain?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

Kanon scoffed, "You have no regard for you health..."

"It's fine, Kanon." Wolf smiled. "I won't die from this. It's just a scratch. Don't worry so much."

Kanon glared at him, "How can I not?"

"By not thinking of me like I'm made of glass." Wolf returned her glare with an impassive stare.

"Wolf," Kanon muttered through clenched teeth, "you're getting hurt a lot, these days."

"I'm not turning into a masochist." He blurted out, the new-type asking himself exactly where that had come from.

"Wha-? No. Listen, and stop joking about this! All the times you laugh off your injuries...just 'cuz you're not bothered, doesn't mean I'm not."

Wolf's stare softened, "Kanon."

"And even worse," Kanon groaned and placed her head in her hands, "I'm the one who's responsible..."

Silence seemed to reign over them, the tension in the air taking a drastic increase as Kanon remained silent after her part. Wolf sighed, the blonde scratching his head at the thoroughly depressed girl beside him. It wasn't like he didn't understand her, he himself was quite protective of Saya. Every time she got a bruise from playing outside when they were kids, he would start raving about punching the local bullies into dirt. He'd always been the nervous wreck on the side, watching while his little sibling played, laughed and got hurt from her experiences. Saya was completely innocent back then, and that innocence still lingered around the younger Arashi to date, though not quite as naive. What she must have felt when her big brother fretted all around her, trying to protect her from everything like she was the most vulnerable being in existence, he could imagine. What Kanon was doing was nearly identical.

"You're right." Wolf admitted.

Kanon seemed to shrink.

"But, it was my choice to take the hit for you, Kanon." He said, wrapping one arm around her shoulder and smiling, "Don't act so depressed. You would have done the same for me."

Kanon looked worriedly at his eyes then to his side, nervously, as if it would suddenly rip open. Wolf shook his head, and kissed the medic's forehead, "I'll be fine."

The medic sighed, both from exasperation and weariness. She nodded slowly to him, the blonde standing up and taking her hand after.

"Well, I'm bored in here." Wolf grinned slyly, "Wanna join me in sneaking out and defying my superiors?"

"You're injured!"

"Ramen." He said, simply, as if that would solve all his problems.

"..." And by the pained look on Kanon's face, it probably did.

She gave in after a five minute staring contest.

_Outer Ghettos, 10:31AM, Market Street_

Getting away from the Den was easy enough. Go to the less used entrances, make a small distraction for the normal guards posted there and run like hell, or in Wolf's case, walk away like he didn't just beat the crap out of the guards after they refused to let him pass. Kanon honestly didn't how someone so in-tune with his violent side ended up looking as apathetic as Wolf. Of course, she was a stranger to the untold rule of all reality, the stronger the person is, the crazier they get. Shame, since it was one of the major rules of the universe, as well...

"Honestly, they were just doing their jobs," Kanon glanced worriedly behind her, having bowed in apology to the the agonized moaning of the few stationed there, now lying in pain on the ground before taking off after the blonde new-type, "You need to learn some self-control."

"Oh, they'll be fine," Wolf shrugged, "I didn't even hit that hard."

Considering gods eaters were the living, breathing reincarnation of the term 'superhuman', those words didn't exactly put her at ease. Whoever said she needed some excitement in her life needed to be taken out and shot for that shoddy advice...

...Repeatedly.

Wolf paused in his stride, gaze landing on another direction. Kanon noticed too late and bumped into him with a small 'ow'. She rubbed the spot where her forehead had impacted with Wolf's back (she may be older but Wolf was tall for his age) with a small curse, giving Wolf an annoyed look. Her stare turned curious when he didn't even meet her eyes, his vision locked solely on a structure not too far away. His expression had turned a little wistful, Kanon surmised, and she looked back between him and the building he was eyeing. The medic raised an eyebrow at his blatant unresponsiveness and tilted her head to the side.

"Woooolf," Kanon called, moving in his lin of vision, "hey, you there? Something wrong?"

Only when Kanon snapped her fingers in front of his face did he respond.

"Oh...it's nothing," Wolf sighed, "I just realized how long it's been since I had a drink."

"Huh?" Kanon directed her stare to the shack, ture enough, it had the makings of a bar, "Aren't you underage?"

"Does it really matter?" Wolf asked with a small smirk, "Don't tell me **you've** never gotten wasted."

Actually, truth be told, Kanon had never even touched alcohol. Not even the beer rations that Fenrir had made available to them. She didn't really see the reason to put her name down, since she was fine with getting the occasional soda from the dispensing machines. Plus, Nana sent her own concoctions that the pinkette kept, locked in the fridge, where she could pop one open and drink it down at any time. of course, this was hoping it wasn't some disgusting combination of ketchup and apple juice. Don't laugh, her taste buds still haven't recovered. Her mother was as exploring as Sakaki, sometimes.

"Uh...I...um..."

"Goody-two-shoes." Wolf teased with a wry grin.

"A-am not!"

Of course, Wolf could have left it at that. He could have walked away like an adult while Kanon made a cute face by puffing up her cheeks in anger. He'd laugh and they'd get some ramen.

"Prove it."

It should be noted, Wolf _liked_ being childish sometimes.

So, Kanon puffed up her face(still cute) and dragged him to his- sorry, Yuka's bar. He had to remember he didn't work there anymore.

Pushing open the double wooden doors, Kanon walked in to his old stomping grounds. What few patrons that had already entered the bar or in some cases, was _still_ in the bar looked at the new pair, ready to see exactly what had come pass and if they could get a free drink out of the poor suckers. When Wolf came through, pulled along by a pink haired girl, the thoughts of a free mug came and went, replaced by boisterous laughter.

"Spiky! Get kicked out by Fenrir already?" A female tone rang out from the cachinnating, "I didn't think you'd cause that much damage in- what, two months?"

"Well, you're severely underestimating my magnetism to all things destructive." Wolf chuckled.

"Don't I know it." Kanon shook her head.

"Oh, and who's this?" A woman looking to be in her early thirties stepped forward, obviously at home right with the bar, if her cigarette told the story right, "She's cute. She your girlfriend?"

"Nice to see you too, Yuka." Wolf sarcastically, replied.

"Brat. Ah' heard your sister's back. Send her my greetings." Yuka turned back her gaze to Kanon, "Now, aren't you just adorable?"

"Eh?" Kanon found herself stepping back as the older woman got into her personal space, "I-I...uh..."

"Ha! Spike, this your girl?"

"Yuka, you're scaring her," Wolf deadpanned, "and the others are staring."

Instead of nodding and quieting down, the owner of the bar turned around and yelled, "What are you all looking at?!"

Everyone turned back to their drinks. Yuka smirked, "Problem solved. Now answer the damn question."

"Uh..." Kanon nervously poked her head past Wolf's shoulder, the new people around her forcing her personality to regress to her more meek nature, "H-hello."

Yuka's grin turned absolutely cheshire, "Ooh, Wolf, you naughty boy. Didn't know you went for the shy types."

"How do you even know we're goin' out?" Wolf asked with a half-lidded expression.

"You ain't denied it once in this conversation, brat. 'Means it's automatically true if you don't start sputtering like a moron."

"I would headbutt you right now," Wolf growled, and Kanon slapped his head, "but my girlfriend doesn't like it when I'm rude."

"Whatever, spiky," Yuka laughed, heading back to the counter and leaning forward, "now, whadday'a both want?"

Wolf smirked, leading Kanon over to a stool, the medic now quite jittery over the ordeal.

"Vodka," Wolf said, simply, setting her down with a gentle push and taking a seat beside her, "and something docile for her."

"I can order for myself, you know." Kanon hissed.

Wolf raised an eyebrow, questioning her statement with a large question mark hovering over his head. His lips twitched and he laughed, as if Kanon had told a joke.

"What?"

"Name me three drinks."

"Guh...uh...beer..."

"And?"

"..."

"Exactly." Wolf chuckled. Kanon pouted at him and he gave her a small peck on her forehead, "I'll order you something stronger next time."

"You tryin' to get me drunk?" Kanon's look suddenly turned teasing.

"Maybe." Wolf said, looking away with a hand on his chin, as if in deep contemplation.

Kanon giggled.

A loud BANG interrupted their conversation, as well as most of the other patrons'. An unlucky woman yelped in reflex, barely diving out of the way when one of the doors went flying past her, crashing straight into a thankfully isolated part of the shop, away from everyone else. All eyes turned to the newcomer, a girl who still had her foot outstretched while she looked owlishly at her handiwork.

"...Well, damn." Saya grinned, "Oracle cells work better than I thought."

She gave a fistpump, Wolf facepalmed.

"Saya..."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, eyes landing on her brother, "Hey, bro! Didn't know you were here with your girlfriend."

"Was it necessary to knock the door down?" Kanon asked timidly.

"Nope," Saya puffed up her chest, "but it's way more fun!"

"Don't try to question it." Wolf whispered to the medic beside him, "She's slightly more predictable if she's unpredictable."

Spoken like a guy that has way too much experience...

Kanon giggled, "Now you know how I feel."

Wolf rolled his eyes, aiming his look back to his little sister, who had kept on smiling widely while in the doorway, though her foot had made its way back to the floor now. The younger Arashi gave a jovial wave to the owner of the establishment, Wolf catching a head shake and a mild smirk from the corner of his eye. Yuka smirked in his direction, taking her index, thumb and middle finger and rubbing them together in front of him, then pointing to the drinks he had ordered and to the broken door some of the patrons had eyed with some disbelief that a fourteen year old girl had sent it that far off.

Wolf sighed, already moving for his wallet.

With more than a little grimace, the blonde new-type threw down the bills of the ghettos, Yuka taking it with a grin reminiscent of a fox before laying down a bottle of beer to Kanon and a few shots of a clear white liquid to Wolf, which the blonde wasted no time in dunking back. Saya took a seat next to her brother, Kanon nervously grasping her own liquor as if it would be poisoned.

"So, what'cha doin' out, bro?" She asked, poking his arm.

"Getting drunk." Wolf replied, casually.

"Mou...you're gonna kill yourself."

"I doubt it'll be the alcohol that will kill me, eventually." He took another cup, taking a small sip with this one and letting the substance wash his taste buds before drinking it down, the vodka leaving a burning sensation in his throat as it traveled into his stomach.

"Fenrir doesn't exactly have the best survival rates as far as employees go." Kanon interjected, a grimace and a rosy wisp on her cheeks, setting down the cold beer with a small dull 'thump' on the counter.

"Here, here!" Any patron that overheard her shouted, Kanon flinching before giving a shaky smile in return to their laughter.

"Is it always this loud?"

"If it's a weekday, yes." Saya cheerily answered.

"And if it's a weekend?" Some part of Kanon didn't want to know, but the other, bigger part was too curious for its own good.

"Well...make sure you bring something sharp...quite a few brawls start in here." Wolf shrugged.

"Its gotten better thanks to your skill exhibitions," Yuka commented, nearing them while she cleaned a cup in a classic bartender way. "Spiky here has a good punch, not many brawls start in here anymore. At least, not as many as the other bars."

"And what happens if it does?"

Yuka smirked evilly, Wolf and Saya cringing as one and looking at Kanon as if the pinkette had insulted her own mother. Kanon blinked, "What?" She honestly didn't know what she said wrong...

Until the middle aged woman reached into the counter and pulled out a rifle, aiming it straight with one hand, a few of the patrons yelped having seen exactly how good of a shot the owner of their bar was, the pink haired medic for the first time noticing the various holes in the wall shaped out like a person's outline...and how did she even get one on the ceiling?

"Hehe, I give 'em some...incentive to stay good."

"Hell of an incentive." Saya muttered under her breath, Yuka seemingly hearing her and whirling around, not intentionally aiming it straight down the younger Arashi's face, to which she gave a yelp and ducked under the counter.

Okay...so maybe it was a bit intentional.

"D-didn't Fenrir confiscate all guns?"

"Ha!" Yuka cachinnated, along with every other customer in the bar.

"Eh..." Kanon looked confused.

"Don't bother. I've asked how she does it and she just laughs at my face like I said something funny." Wolf shook his head, reaching for the last drink only for Saya to grab it before he could, "Hey!"

"Enough alcohol for you nii-chan. You need to be sober for what I need."

"Pray tell, what do you need?" Wolf asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I," Saya's smile turned wistful, "wanna visit their graves."

Wolf's eyes widened by a millimeter, but Kanon saw it.

"Already..." He said slowly, as if he might have stepped into a land mine, "that time?"

"Yep."

"Hey," Kanon pouted, "stop being mystical and sneaky while I'm here!"

Wolf chuckled, "It's our mom and dad's death anniversary."

_Fenrir outskirts, 12: 19 PM, City of Mercy_

"~Let it go! If you could! If love dies! In the-" A loud, boisterous voice sang out loud, the owner making rather ridiculous movements as she started to get into the chorus.

"Saya, shut up."

"Awww..."

Wolf rolled his eyes with a shake of his head. The blonde new-type seeding his annoyance into his gut and swallowing it up while Saya started running around the place with her hands clutching a god arc behind her. Kanon seemed uncomfortable at the fact they were visiting the grave of his and Saya's parents, most likely because she thought she'd brought up some painful memories. God, they must have been the weirdest trio an aragami could spot. A pair of pink haired lunatics, since Saya was still on a sugar rush, despite her lack of sugar and Kanon was undoubtedly bipolar, along with him...

No need to elaborate on why he's weird...I'm not sure I even have enough words to fully justify it without completely sugaring its surface.

"How did you deal with this?" Kanon whispered to him, a small grin on her lips as she watched Saya bounce around.

"Saya's been ADHD for a long time...so I simply got used to it."

"Huh..." the medic looked at him, "Seems like you have more patience than you show."

"Don't spread it around." Wolf whispered with a smile, "Everyone backs away when I get in the cafeteria line now!"

Kanon giggled, Wolf's smile softening at the girl's lighthearted laughs.

"~I will always be here! For the rest of MY LIFE!~"

Christ, if they had to fight off a pack of ogretails, the eldest was gonna mangle the smaller Arashi.

Soon enough, the trio had made their way to the run down building, the large structure looking as dangerous as the last time Wolf and Kanon had seen it, what with all the creaking, the rust and the slight shift that made you think you were leaning your head a tiny bit to the side. Good thing gods eaters cans survive jumping off sixty floor plus buildings. Knocking the door open with a barely audible creak, the blonde Arashi promptly led the way up the stairs, adjusting his god arc as they traversed the long winding path up to the make shift grave site to a more comfortable position on his back.

"Why did you guys put it here anyway?" Kanon asked, abruptly, not at all comfortable with so much silence.

"What?" Both the siblings asked in unison.

"Your...your mom and dad's grave."

"Oh. Well, the ghettos didn't have a cemetery," Saya explained, the bubbling girl making some gestures with her free hand, "and...we didn't have anything we could...cremate. So we went around trying to find one place we could put some thing up...but if we placed it anywhere inside our neighborhood it would probably get defiled and if we place it outside, naturally, it would get eaten by any wandering aragami."

"So you decide to put it in a rickety building?"

"Give us a break." Wolf interjected, almost sounding as if he was whining, "We didn't have a better place to put it in."

...

"Well..." Kanon started, "My house is pretty big..."

"Eh?" Saya blurted with a grin very reminiscent of a fox, "You offering to let us move the grave? Into your house? Are you sure your parents wouldn't mind?"

"It's not like your gonna put a ten feet tall cornerstone into my house...I mean the forest around us is pretty big so even if you did want to, that point is moot." Not to mention her mom would beat any offender on the grave with her ladle of doom, the very thought of the evil artifact making Kanon shiver. She wasn't hit by the thing very often but it earned the nickname very well.

"I never did find out what that thing was made off..."

"What thing?" Wolf asked.

"You know, the ladle."

"Ladle...you mean the one your mom used on the twins?"

"Yep. I'm pretty sure if Fenrir made a god arc out of it, the aragami would be in heaps of trouble."

"Your joking..." Saya interjected.

...

Seeing she wasn't going to get an answer out of her fellow pinkette she turned to the sky.

"Hey, Mr. Strife! Is she kidding?"

...I have no clue myself.

"Okay..." She muttered, dejectedly.

"Who's she talking to?" Kanon turned to Wolf.

"Author." He replied, casually.

"Author?"

"Yep."

"...Is that a codename for something wrong in her head?"

"Now that's just mean...but I don't blame you." Saya whined.

"No, it's not a codename. It's just what the kid making this is called."

"Making what?" Kanon raised an eyebrow, suspiciously.

"All this." Wolf gestured to everything around him. "Well, not all of this. Just some things, since if he claimed ownership, the law would sue his ass."

"..."

**Get back to the story!**

"What was that!?" Kanon nearly screamed, looking around to find the voice that had interrupted.

"Author." Both Saya and Wolf answered.

**Back to the story!**

"Right, right. Jeez, no need to go all bold font on me." Wolf drawled, waving his hand dismissively.

Kanon, still visibly freaked out, decided to forget about the voice that had come out of the blue and proceeded to their floor, notably faster in her pace.


	15. One Small Sad Family

_I've lost count of how many people I've killed._

_I've lost count of how many people I've sacrificed for the sake of my sister._

_I've lost count of how many people I've deceived._

_But I haven't lost count of any of the scars.  
><em>

_Scars from my trespasses. Maybe that was why I was so cold. Becoming numb was a shameful solution, but it was a solution for me. It became easier to kill people if I became another identity, another person. In the end, I made a mask of my face.  
><em>

_All that blood, the hopeless gaze in all of their eyes came back to haunt me in my nightmares. I told myself, 'they're scum. I'm doing the world a favor', but that never helps. Because I was always someone who saw through half-assed excuses. What difference if the liar was me? I killed them. All those people, all the men, women, and eventually children. It didn't matter what race, age, sex. I didn't care._

_That was my sin...a__nd, this...this is my punishment._

_All of them were loved by someone, and when I took away their lives...I became a murderer, someone who didn't deserve a life to call my own.  
><em>

_All the scars hurt, you know? All of them start out as cuts, then they stitch up. After that, the scar comes and is left as the only proof of its existence. All of them throb whenever I wake up in the middle of the night, refusing to let me sleep in peace. Did I hate myself? No. I didn't care about myself. I'd given up years back, when I was carrying Saya's catatonic body through the ruins of human civilization.  
><em>

_I'm nothing but a mask, after all. I've forgotten who I really was, a long time ago._

_I'm not a gods eater._

_I'm not Saya's brother._

_I'm not Wolf.  
><em>

**_I'm just his shadow._**

**XxXxX**_  
><em>

In the lobby of the den, we find ourselves with a napping Wolf.

the blonde was casually asleep on a bench with his earphones blasting music into his ears. He leaned on the protective railing with his legs folded over one another on the other side of his seat. No one gave him a glance, most probably because they thought he was brooding instead of sleeping. All of their attention was soon focused elsewhere, and they left him to his own devices. Frankly, the new-type preferred it that way. He had less things to worry about if they left him alone, and he was satisfied with the small circle he had kept himself in.

His precarious bed wasn't very comfy. Its cushion was hard, and almost like it was filled with cement rather than stuffing, and the railing he leaned on was prone to rust. Plus, the corner of the place smelled strangely of a mix of deodorant and cleaning materials. It was disturbing, but the blonde cared little as long as he was able to close his eyes for a moment. He'd been quite cramped in his room for the past week of healing from his injury, so he'd rather not spend more time there if he could help it, which is why he had come down here and taken a nap in lieu of his bed.

His injury had healed well over time, thanks to the special drug in his veins called 'oracle cells' infusing his cells and increasing his regeneration. In the past week, he was medically cleared to go on missions again, much to his relief.

However, his relaxation was cut short when the blonde was awoken with a slap to the back. Wolf jolted awake, and he removed his earphones, grumbling profanities and giving the offender a well-earned scathing look. Lindow smiled back at him, nonchalantly ignoring the teen's glare.

"You're allowed to go on the field again, right?" Lindow asked him with a jaunty grin. Wolf nodded in affirmative, and his commanding officer slapped his back again. "Good. You and your sis are coming with me and Alisa on a mission. Don't take too long to gear up, alright?"

"When's the briefing?" Wolf quirked.

Lindow handed him a small, flat object. "Details are in that. I'll see you in the rendezvous point. I've already briefed the others, so hurry up. Our ride leaves in half an hour."

Wolf tilted his head in acknowledgement, watching Lindow as the first unit leader disappeared up the stairs with a final wave to him. Wolf sighed, and followed suit, moments later. He passed by Hibari as she assigned missions to a long line of gods eaters, and gave Daichi an apathetic glance which seemed to make the merchant quiver for a moment before a nervous smile worked its way up the businessman's face. Wolf turned away, and made his way out of the den, to the god arc storage area just outside of the large gates. Wolf passed into the room, immediately assaulted by the overwhelming scent of steel, oil and a miniscule hint of blood in the air. In here, it was always how it smelled.

He wrinkled his nose at the unpleasant smell, but bore it without complaint, even as his enhanced nose had felt like someone had thrown acid into his nostrils. Wolf trudged his way to the mainframe, typing in the code for his god arc. With a mechanical hiss, the god arc dispensing system screeched its gears shifted, trying to bring up the required god arc. Wolf awaited for the bio weapon, patiently, yet was confused as a god arc that was most definitely not his appeared.

He raised an eyebrow at the strange blue chainsaw-like long sword, careful not to touch it with knowledge that if he tried to wield an unmatched god arc, he would most likely die. He glanced, confused, at the monitor below him. He checked each number of his code, and found no error. Frowning, he took out his wallet and glanced at the reminder questions he had taken the time to write in case he forgot of his code. He answered each, naturally, and he felt like there was no mistake.

"Confused, rookie?"

A new tone snapped him out of his bemusement, and the new-type turned to look at the local engineer.

"Licca." He greeted.

"Yo, new-type. Glad to see you're up and about." Licca gave him a wide smirk, elbowing his ribs and making a hearty chuckle. "How'd you like your new god arc?"

"New god arc?"

"Yeah," Licca said, and her tone suddenly turned admonishing, "do you know how much crap you've banked up in your personal account? I could make a dozen different god arc variations with the stuff you've horded. Seriously, have you ever thought of actually upgrading from your Blade?"

"Er...no, it actually slipped my mind." He was used to maintaining swords. Upgrading them was a new concept to him. Same for the gun and the shield.

"Jeez," Licca sighed, "No wonder you've gotten your butt landed in the infirmary so many times already."

Wolf didn't say anything in response.

"Well, I took the liberty of upgrading it. So, say hello to your new god arc. Its model code is 'Arctic Chainsaw'." She pronounced proudly.

His Arctic Chainsaw was a dark aqua blue hue, with the end of the blade forming as a chainsaw head instead of a tip of a sword. Its jagged, silver teeth gleamed wickedly in the light, almost attractively, despite its threatening look. A shield that was perfectly circular if put together was at the hilt of the blade, acting as a makeshift guard for the pommel. His gun had also been changed, and instead of the primary assault gun he'd been using for the past few months, it looked a bit more like a mini-gun.

"I crafted a 'Silent Cry' model for your gun. It's an assault type since I've heard how much you love spamming bullets." Licca patted the blade, "As for the shield, thanks to the Vajra you helped take down, the higher ups decided to give you a buckler more valuable than allowed for your rank. It's a 'tear stone'. It's not the hardest I can make, but it's real light since you don't seem to be the type to stay still and take a hit."

"I...I don't know what to say." Wolf stuttered.

A new weapon like this was infinitely better than what he was working with. However, he was quite sure that even he didn't have this much crap stored up. Licca had definitely pulled a few strings to gain the items necessary to upgrade all of his gear.

"Don't," Licca laughed. "Just do me a favor and stay alive. S'all you gotta do, 'kay?"

"Yeah," Wolf smiled, slightly. "...thanks, Licca."

"No problem." She turned, and walked away, giving him one last glance. "Now, go get 'em, Wolfie."

**XxXxX**

No one could actually tell when something bad was gonna happen. If they did, then maybe mankind wouldn't have gotten the ass kicking of the millenium. Alas, nothing was able to foretell that humans would find themselves losing ground against the aragami in a fort night. Proof of that was the ruins of the city below him, ruins of a great metropolis that was once bustling with activity until an armada of monsters came and ripped it apart, brick by brick.

Kicking the thought of his mind, the blonde instead turned to the stomach turning fall below him. Sighing and strapping his god arc onto its magnetic holster, the new-type jumped off, pushing out of the helicopter and rocketing down to earth. Wind scraped through his hair, and his jacket flapped wildly in the free-fall. A sense of butterflies in his stomach rose from his gut, turning his insides into a roller coaster and giving way to an uncomfortable feeling. Wolf shoved it down, reminding himself he'd done this before and would have to do it again. His nosedive ended, seconds after he'd jumped off the airborne transport. Wolf braced his knees, taking the full impact of the dive and coming out just peachy.

Upon coming into landing, the blonde was met, face to face with all his teammates for the mission. Alisa gave him a reproachful look like she was still unable to stand him. He duly ignored the look in favor of his sister. Saya ran up to him, smiling widely. Wolf ruffled her hair and she slapped the hand away with a pout before dragging him to the rest of the group. Lindow gave him a cheeky grin, and the blonde waved hello.

"Right," Lindow said. "Now that the last member's here, we can start the mission. I'm working with you three new-types today, and I'll try not to get in your way."

Alisa flicked her hair again, a habit that made her look quite haughty and wasn't at all endearing to Wolf.

"If you ask me, old-types should stick to what old-types are capable of doing."

Wolf scoffed, and leveled her with a glare. "Good thing no one asked you."

Alisa glared back, and Wolf returned the gaze. Saya laughed nervously, holding her hand up in a placating manner in front of the two.

"Er...please don't fight. I don't like it when Nii-chan gets into fights."

Wolf mumbled a word, sent a scathing look to Alisa's own and turned his back. Saya sighed in exasperation, and Lindow patted her shoulder. Her leader gave her a grin before addressing his team again.

"Well then, I'll see if I can live up to your expectations." Walking up to the other female of the group, Lindow clasped her encouragingly on the shoulder.

Alisa looked at him with a quirked eyebrow, wondering if he was hit in the head as a baby or was just too dense to realize she just questioned his skills. She turned her gaze to the pinkette behind him, Saya smiling widely in return. Wolf was leaning on a corner, frankly ignoring her gaze at his direction. Returning her gaze to Lindow, the white haired new-type opened her mouth to say something.

_Aj...va...tori_

Words and images suddenly flashed within her mind, and the silverette shrieked, jumping back and slapping Lindow's arm away. Her commander looked stunned at her violent reaction, and Wolf had gotten in front of Saya protectively with his god arc drawn from its magnetic holster, and was regarding her with cautious calculation like he was assessing how he should kill her if things turned for the worse. Alisa held a hand to her cranium, the other one gripping her god arc tightly in her palm as the images started to seep out of her vision. She took a calming breath, then looked to her group with a schooled face.

Lindow's face eased back into his care-free grin, however, the hand on his weapon was much more tense now. "Woah, I can see you really can't stand me, huh?" He chuckled, and Wolf eased his stance, but still looked at her with suspicion. Saya slapped his head, and gave him a glare as if to say 'stop being so uppity about it'.

"I-I'm sorry." Alisa muttered to them.

"Hey, I'm just kidding." Lindow chuckled, but dared not go anywhere near her. "...Listen up, Alisa. If things get chaotic, look up at the sky, then find a cloud that looks like an animal. It'll help you chill."

Saya looked curious and turned her head to the skyline, her brother holstering his god arc once more and placing his hands back in his pockets. His little sibling peered at the sky, straining to find an animal-like shape. Finding one, she grinned and pulled on her brother's collar. Wolf turned to her and looked at where she was pointing, turning his head to see a cloud.

"It's Mr. Poochiekins!" She shouted loudly. Loud enough that Alisa and Lindow turned to look at them strangely.

Wolf shrugged and answered their non-vocal question. "She had a pet spider she named Poochiekins when she was six."

"...You and your sister are weird, Wolf." Alisa told them, bluntly. "Who names their spider Poochiekins?"

Saya laughed merrily, staring at the cloud, entranced by its sorta spider like shape, and completely deaf to the conversation. Wolf shrugged, and Lindow laughed at them with a jolly cheer.

"Until then," the leader turned back to Alisa, his laughter dying off. "stay here, and that's an order. Afterwards, I want you to join us over there," He pointed at a random direction. "Got that?"

"But...but why should I do such a thing?" Alisa asked, hand snapping to emphasize her words.

"Just find a cloud." Lindow said, easily before turning to the other two. "We're going ahead. Ready?"

Wolf grabbed Saya's collar, and the pinkette cried as she was yanked away, her feet being dragged away by her body, and her body being dragged away by her brother. Pouting, the younger sibling huffed and got back to her feet, then followed the both of them to the ledge. Lindow gave them an easy grin and jumped off, followed closely by Wolf and his sister. Alisa frowned as she watched them creep away, but gave in to the command and turned her head up to the twilight to find an animal-like cloud. She grit her teeth, aggressively, not quite liking the idea of being left out.

Meanwhile, the trio of Wolf, Lindow and Saya commenced their search, the senior of the three taking point. Saya's usual hyperactivity had disappeared as she crept through the ruins of an alley with barely audible footsteps. Lindow and Wolf both remained just as silent, eyes wide and ears open for anything out of place. No breeze passed by the deserted city, leaving their hearing as acute as possible, yet the lack of wind also somehow made them more apprehensive of the situation- like the world was holding its breath, watching their every move.

Wolf discreetly made sure his god arc was still holstered, checking that his bio weapon was still there and he wouldn't be utterly powerless if the aragami they were targeting came and tried to eat them. Eased at the presence of his blade, the new-type kept his pace with Lindow and Saya. His commander gave him them a sideways glance, stopping in his tracks so suddenly that Saya nearly bumped into him.

"There's something about that kid," He muttered, giving a far-away stare at the direction they came from. Wolf quirked an eyebrow, and Lindow smirked knowingly at him. "She seems to have a lot of baggage. Still, these days, who doesn't have some kind of tragedy in their lives?"

Wolf and Saya exchanged uneasy glances.

Lindow spoke, "Since you're both new-types like her, do me a favor and try to look out for Alisa, alright?"

Saya nodded cheerfully while her brother crossed his arms and gave him an unhappy stare as if to say, 'Do I have to?'

Lindow gave him a half-lidded stare, and Wolf sighed, tilting his head slightly in acceptance. Lindow gave him a good-natured pat on his shoulder, and the commander ruffled the shorter blonde's hair while he was at it. Wolf scowled and slapped the hand away, and glared at his sister when she gave him that 'haha' look. Lindow chuckled, and for a moment, his doubts in Wolf were appeased, perhaps by the naivete the commander had kept, or perhaps the siblings gave that effect on everyone they knew. Wolf, overprotective as a mother hen, and Saya, rambunctious as a small child.

It was cliche, but for some reason, it was what made them more human.

**XxXxX**

"Director," A sudden disturbance snapped Johannes from his paperwork, the head of Fenrir's Far-East branch snapping his neck to the com on his desk. Hibari's voice was raspy like she had a minor cold, but that wasn't at all too strange with the sudden influx of missions today and the the duty she had to verbally dictate. "We've detected an unidentified convoy heading straight for the Den. It's EtA has been calculated to less than an hour, and the defense unit isn't sure on how to deal with this. What are your orders?"

"Leave it be." Johan replied, rising from his street and smiling slightly in delight. "I've been expecting this for a while. Hibari, have the patrols secure the path of the convoy."

"Yes, sir." With an electronic static, the device disconnected.

Johannes strolled out of his office, smirking in satisfaction of a predicted piece coming into play. Reviewing what he should say, and do to the man in those vehicles, the director made his way to the top of the Den.

Hibari met him as soon as the lift opened, the orange haired girl bowing once and turning to the side to allow him to pass into the Lobby. Johannes walked past her, and the girl followed him as he made his way to the gates.

"Have the orders been relayed?" He asked without turning to glance at Hibari.

"Yes," the Far-East Branch operator affirmed, picking into her pocket and taking out a sleek black device connected to the Den's mainframe. Starting it up, the orange haired girl flicked her hand, moving the touch-screen and displaying recent orders sent out to the cellphones of the patrolling squads. "I've given orders to the team of Dickinson to secure a route. From where they were stationed, they should meet up with the convoy in half an hour."

"Good."

"Sir..."

"What is it?"

"Do you know what that convoy is?" Hibari asked, cautiously. "It's just that I've received no schedules of a supply convoy, and you're meeting them yourself when you're commonly doing paperwork."

"...to be completely honest, I have no solid confirmation on what is being transported in that convoy. However..." Johannes smirked, slightly. "I have a very good guess on what it is."

**XxXxX**

Saya was a quick-thinking girl.

Her dexterity and agile build was what made her such a fearsome fighter nearly on par with her brother in terms of combat, who used his superior balance and skill instead of her own style of unpredictability, but even though she was quite the agile fighter, Wolf was quite a good strategist in terms of tactics, leading to many defeats in spars on her part. However, just because she couldn't beat her brother, didn't mean she couldn't throw a punch and knock you six ways from Sunday. She had plenty of practice with that by living in the slums, and practicing combat with Wolf.

However, with the aragami's ability to say 'fuck you' to every hit and get back on its feet in a matter of seconds, the battle was much more tiresome than usual.

Moving her legs, the pinkette ran, avoiding a barrage of white hot balls of plasma that were fired from a Chi-You's hands. Clutching her Gem Sword in her right fist, the new-type turned sharply, dashing at the monster as it charged an even bigger plasma ball. It fired it at her right as she purposely hit the ground on her back, doing a picture perfect baseball slide and slashing at its exposed knees. Getting back quickly on her feet, the pinkette leaped up, drawing blood once more as she cut into the Avian's back.

Screeching, the Chi-You attempted to backhand her, missing when Saya kicked off its back and flipped away to safety. Wolf dashed in, stabbing a giant maw at the creature's chest and biting into its flesh. Roaring in outrage, the aragami spread its wings and brought them together in a fierce clap that would have crushed Wolf's cranium into a gelatinous gooey mess if he hadn't forcefully ripped his god arc, tearing the chest cavity and jumped away at the last second.

Saya came from behind the aragami as it was too busy agonizing over the momentary loss of its chest, and stabbed it in the back of its thigh, bringing it down to its knees where she ripped her blade out and cut along its vertebrae once more. It reared its head back in a screech of pain as the blade scarred its spine, only to be silenced when Saya stabbed her knife through its throat, brutally. Grimacing at the blood, the girl immediately wrenched the blade out, backing away when the Chi-You suddenly seemed even more enraged now that it couldn't scream. She quickly entered burst and held her god arc in a stance once more.

Saya watched in morbid curiosity as the aragami's maimed chest grew back, once again covering its insides in a thick hide that no bullet could penetrate. She was too caught up in it however, and when the Chi-You threw a non-too friendly looking plasma ball, her enhanced attributes in Burst were the only things that saved her. Wolf went assist her, bringing his the flat of his blade in front of him like a shield and ramming into the Chi-You's exposed back. In response, the aragami stumbled and backhanded him, sending him flying but uninjured thanks to his god arc. Righting himself in mid air, the elder sibling brought his hand up into a strange signal, Saya nodding in confirmation and running straight at the Chi-You, just as Wolf did the same.

Between the two of them, the Avian was torn on who to kill before it simply roared and swung blindly. Wolf ducked under a wild horizontal chop, the aragami's hand nearly tearing into his flesh and missing by mere inches. Saya jumped up, landing on the Chi-You's outstretched fist and running up its arm. It was taken by surprise at her strange maneuver and paid for it when the girl brought her blade and sliced off a chunk of its cranium. Shrieking, the Chi-You was unprepared when Wolf cut through the weak tendons in its legs, sending it flopping onto the ground in pain as it suddenly lost the ability to move anything above the knee. It trashed wildly, holding both of its legs as it spurted blood like a fountain.

Saya was barely able to bring up her shield, but the wild flailing impacted with her buckler, numbing her arms and sending her skidding back even as she dug her feet into the ground. Wolf placed a hand on her, stopping Saya as the girl suddenly groaned at the soreness of her arms, rubbing her wrist, and flexing her elbow like it was stiff.

"I don't like aragami so much." She muttered.

"Neither do I." Wolf grimaced, lunging at the rising Chi-You. Its legs had started to reconnect now, and it wouldn't be long before it was perfectly able to run at them.

Dragging his blade, the blonde brought it down like a hammer onto its chest, cracking the ribs and lodging it into its bones. Wolf tore away, ruthlessly hacking at the monster. However, the legs reformed soon enough, and he was forced to retreat as the aragami clapped the ground and erected a small hurricane around it. Saya fired bullets at an astonishing pace, having switched to support and letting the black ended Avian get a big bag of 'ice in your face'. It shook off the damage and charged at them, flapping its wings once and rushing to swipe at them with it glide. Wolf leaped, clearing the Avian, and stabbed his god arc down. It embedded itself on the back of the monster, coming out the other side in an explosion of blood. Wolf hung unto his god arc for dear life, refusing to let go as the Avian screeched.

"Iai," She muttered the word under her breath, blue eyes turning cold as she watched with a calculative look at the approaching mass of flesh. "_Kagayaki_."

Her god arc suddenly seemed lighter, and an ominous purple aura started to envelop her blade before spreading like wildfire into her body. She felt warmth spread around her body, and she grit her teeth, tucking her god arc in to her side. Preoccupied by the occupant on its back, the Chi-You didn't see her as she charged straight for him, bringing up her short sword and cleaving straight through its wing. Wolf jumped from its shoulder blades, unbalancing it, and combined with the sudden loss of the appendage, the aragami fell to the earth, the momentum of the crash dragging the body into a trench.

It heaved heavily once, then twice before it lay still, dead as an aragami could possibly be.

Wolf sighed in relief. He looked at his god arc and grimaced at the sight of blood marring its blue edge. Licca would have a fit over how dirty he'd gotten it. Saya grinned proudly, and ran up to him. Wolf smiled, holstering his blade as his little sister beamed at him.

"You've been practicing Iaido?" Wolf asked.

"Yep," She proclaimed. "Eden-sensei taught me! It's not as good as yours though."

"You'll get there soon enough," the blonde encouraged, ruffling the pinkette's hair. She smiled, turning away to devour the core. Wolf watched her do so with a reminiscing daze.

Was his little sister always so big? Man, it wouldn't be long before she started going into that phase of life where crushes, relationships and emotional drama were the rational course of action. A time when normal boys thought with their scrotum rather than their brain, and the time for girls to commence training their pervert radar. He realized that Saya actually might start to develop a crush on a boy at this age, and started getting nervous. If anybody hurt her, he'd...well...it's better left unsaid but let's just say it would include an abandoned warehouse, rabid squirrels, a lot of peanut butter and a video camera.

Was he overprotective? No way!

He was just being a good brother...

"Nii-chan!" Running up to the day dreaming blonde, Saya snapped her fingers and brought him out of his daze. "C'mon. We should go help Lindow-san and Alisa-chan with the other Chi-You, right?"

Oh, right...actually, he'd forgotten they split up. Not very good of him to do so, but hey! No one needed to know that...

"Right," He replied before he turned a questioning look at his sister. "Where are they again?"

It turns out that Alisa wasn't that bad of a gods eater if she could take on a Chi-You and not get killed in the process.

In the time it had taken for them to end their fight, Wolf and Saya had met up with them, finished with their own duties. Lindow gave them a jolly wave, and Alisa regarded them with a calculating look before she uttered a half-hearted, 'good job'.

Saya accepted the compliment, and Wolf returned it with a slight nod to her. Both of them still didn't like the other, but at least they could be civil, if only for the peacemaking pinkette in the middle of them. Alisa frankly liked the cheery girl, and Wolf himself seemed somewhat competent. Lindow laughed, shouldering his god arc after having extracted the core.

"Alright, no one died, today!" He called, a bit too cheerily. "Let's head back to the Den. I got a boatload of paperwork, and frankly, I need a beer."

"Really," Alisa sighed, and followed her leader to the extraction point. "I can't believe you're so lax with your words, leader."

Lindow laughed it off.

**XxXxX**

"How was it?"

Alisa frowned, glancing at the questioning blonde beside her. Wolf didn't look particularly interested, especially since he didn't seem like he was a talkative guy. Frankly, she suspected he was getting bored over the trip back to the Den, and his sister was absorbed in her own conversation.

"How was what?"

"Your fight," He said, turning that annoying uncaring gaze at her. "It was your first time on the field, right?"

Alisa huffed, "It was quite simple. I performed what was expected of me."

"I get that," Wolf sighed. "If you're here, then you followed Lindow's orders perfectly."

"And which orders would those be?"

"Keep yourself alive," Wolf replied, "Lindow, in all honesty doesn't care about the mission as much as he cares about his comrades."

"You sound like you're praising him," She snorted.

"Heh," Wolf chuckled. "I guess I am."

"...Would you mind me asking?"

"Hm?"

"What was your life like?"

"Mmmm...why the sudden interest?"

"I-I'm not! It's just that...it's for the sake of getting to know you better. We're going to be partners so it's better to familiarize. Familiarize, get it?"

"Whatever. Whaddaya wanna know?"

"Did you always live here?"

"No..."

"...And?"

"And what?"

"Where did you live?!"

"Me and Saya lived in the Philippines. Our parents moved there when the aragami outbreak was in its early stages because of their jobs. I never did find out what they did for a living..."

"Was your family transferred here?"

"In a way."

"What does that mean?"

"Maybe I'll tell you someday."

...

"...they died, didn't they?"

Wolf remained silent.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't for me to meddle in."

"Ah, I hate those apologies." Wolf scratched the back of his head, irritably. Alisa leveled him a confused look, and the blonde turned away.

"It's just that...I don't know." Wolf explained. "People are always apologizing whenever they hear that. I get sick of the pity party they throw for me... it's like..."

"...they never sound sincere." Alisa finished.

Wolf looked surprised at her, and he opened his mouth to ask a question. He thought better of it and shut it in. An awkward silence fell over them, and the blonde took that as the signal not to talk. Sighing, the new-type leaned back into his seat, turning his melancholic gaze out to the passing scenery as night finally fell over. Saya shivered, and Wolf eased out of his jacket, handing it to his little sibling who sent him a thankful smile.

...

"Hey, Wolf?" Alisa suddenly called.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about your parents."

"...thanks."

For a moment, Alisa thought she saw the male smile slightly at her.

**XxXxX**

It was a surprisingly docile trip. No surprise attacks from an aragami, no quarrels between the four of them, and no flying squirrels hitting the windshields. (Don't laugh. It has a good chance of happening to you in this one area of the route they took, and when that happens, it's a goddamn scare)

Getting off the helicopter with a sleeping Saya on his back, the blonde sighed, stifling a complain on his stiff legs as Lindow and Alisa followed suit. Licca was off to the side, ordering a few maintenance workers to check the whole machine for anything wrong and for them to get the god arcs to a workshop for maintenance. She noticed him and gave a mild grin and wave before a worker called her for something.

Wolf looked up at the sky, completely covered in the cloak of night. Stars shined brilliantly in the expanse of darkness, a void that looked as if it was pierced by needles of white. Even with the precedent of Global Warming, the night's cool air was nearly freezing, granted he had wrapped his jacket around Saya when the twilight had died and turned into night. It could get cold when you were in a helicopter with wind slapping your face at every interval.

"I'll take Saya up to her room," Wolf told them, already walking away. "See you later, Lindow."

"Right, rookie," Smirking at Wolf's back, the commander squeezed in a tease, "Say hi to Kanon for me."

Wolf rolled his eyes and didn't acknowledge the jab with a response.

"Be careful," Alisa muttered as he passed her.

"You too."

Opening the lift, the blonde, carrying a slumbering sibling, left the field.

Saya mumbled faintly in her sleep, burying herself in the space of his neck. Her hot breath tickled his skin, but the elder ignored it as he secured her position. Grumbling, the pinkette wrapped her arms around his neck, refusing to let go even in her sleep.

Wolf smiled slightly, "You've gotten heavier, you know?"

"Zzzzz...Nii...chan..."

It was cold, even in the lift but a strange warmth rose inside his gut, and the blonde couldn't help himself as he suddenly felt lighter than he'd ever been.

"I love you too, Saya."

"Mmmm..."

Sighing, the blonde waited impatiently for the lift. Suddenly stopping, the elevator's doors opened, allowing him to come to view to a pair of gods eaters as they talked about a patrol. Both of them, boys that looked like they weren't much older than him, regarded him strangely when they saw the sleeping girl on his back. Wolf gave them a stare as if to say, 'are you coming in?'

Both of the strangers entered soon enough, and the four of them rose, stopping at the lobby floor immediately after.

Wolf quirked an eyebrow at the crowd gathered in the room, stepping out after curiosity got the better of him. Saya mumbled more in her sleep, and buried herself deeper into his neck. Ignoring the chill that ran up his spine, the blonde new-type made his way to the bottom of the floor, passing the others as they strained to get a view on whatever was down there. Arriving at the lower ground, he turned to the merchant, and Daichi gave him a weak smile, proof that the businessman was still quite wary of him. He wasn't sure if that was good.

"What's happening?' Wolf asked.

"Er...no idea," Daichi replied. "All I've heard are snippets about some convoy. Ain't got a clue on what's there."

"It attracted this big of a crowd?"

"Apparently it's an unidentified transport so these idio- er...gods eaters got real paranoid and have been staking the door out since. Director Johannes is waiting for it right in front of the door over there."

Looking to where the merchant was pointing, Wolf caught a glimpse of Johannes's chalk white coat. Curious, the blonde bade Daichi a half-hearted thanks and moved to where the director observed the gate with a patient smile.

"Director, what's going on?" the new-type asked. Johan turned to him, then to Saya's sleeping face before he returned the gaze to the door.

"We're getting a visitor. Stay, Arashi. I'm sure he'd like to meet our very first new-type."

"He, sir?"

Hibari interrupted, "Director, the escort team's outside with the convoy."

"Let them in, quickly."

"Understood."

Wolf watched as the door leading to the ghettos opened, locks and gears shifting to turn the metal plates sideways, separating and allowing a path into the Den. Of course, he didn't expect to see Kanon in front. She smiled at him, waving as she along with Gina and a few others entered the Lobby. Wolf tilted his head in acknowledgement, but kept his main focus on the door as other gods eaters filed in, these however, he didn't recognize.

"Another branch?"

"Yes." Johan answered, still with that smirk on his face.

"From what base?"

"Fenrir headquarters."

"Long way..."

"Indeed."

"Any reason why they paid us a visit?"

"Under orders. After all, the Aegis Project is crucial to mankind's survival, and they most likely wish to know if everything is proceeding smoothly." Johannes smiled as a man stepped forward. "Isn't that right, Mr. President?"

"Astute as always...Johannes."

Wolf was a very passive person.

He didn't go around picking fights for no reason.

He didn't go around trying to pick up praise and credit.

He certainly didn't go around trying to make an enemy of everyone.

But at the sight of the man, the sight of that bastard, venom of an infallible level crawled up into his voice, and a surprising anger that raged in his eyes turned into an inferno. Glaring, the blonde resisted the urge to punch him in the face.

"I should have known you would eventually come," the new-type seethed.

"Our first new-type. So, nice to see you again, my grandson."

Ryu Arashi smiled, and Wolf had a sinking feeling things were going to get complicated.

**XxXxX**

**And there you have it. A little 'family reunion'.**

**Why does Wolf hate their grandfather?**

**...Well, wait for the chapter that explains it, 'kay? I can't go around spoiling surprises, and this is definitely one I ain't giving away.  
><strong>

**Please review, and give me your damn opinion because frankly, it's against the rules for anyone to give themselves criticism...or at least I've heard. Also, please forgive me for the lack of updates. I've revised chapters one through seven, and am fixing the rest of the story's mistakes. If there's a reference you don't understand, it maybe because I changed something so I advise you to reread some parts.  
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**Well, do whatever. Good luck in life.  
><strong>

_**Memento Mori**_

_**-Strife**_


	16. Interlude: Just Another Day

Look left.

Look right.

Dash in.

Pick the lock.

Lift the door.

Push it open.

Without a sound, the wooden door receded, allowing him entry into one of the many run down buildings of the red light district. The stranger made no move for the map in his inner pocket, having already memorized every nook and cranny of the structure, hours beforehand, and only taking the map for safety's sake. He navigated the layout of the building with a mute gait, almost as if he were walking on air instead of polished wood.

He could hear moans, bangs and screams past the thin walls, telling of exactly what kind of indulgence these people were paying for, and of the nature of the business in this place. He wrinkled his nose in disgust as the overwhelming smell of flesh began to invade his nose, nearly thick enough to make him gag with its foul odor. His entrance of the building had placed him directly in a corridor with a multitude of doors, most of which were tightly shut, and most of which, he would prefer to remain so for more than one reason alone. Every wall in the building seemed to be worn, by time or by sheer disregard of its owners, he didn't care to ascertain.

**_Just another day of life_**

He ran past the doors, his feet beating the floor lightly with his heel and producing a small, almost unnoticeable thump like those of a drum. Yet the patrons of the establishment inside those doors were far too busy making their own racket to hear his, and he made it to the stairs without any interruptions. Coming into a splitting junction, he dashed to the right, and pressed his back to it, only glancing at the left hallway that led to an old restroom for anyone that could possibly see him and endanger the contract with an alarm. Seeing nothing but a few rats and roaches, he turned his attention back to the right.

A stereotype yakuza guard - black suit, white collar-shirt, impeccable leather shoes - was positioned on the flight of stairs, down a good distance of the hall. No shocker considering it was off-limits and currently being used as an office for a certain individual - an individual that shared five percent of Yuka's stock in drug distribution. An individual that had threatened to sell it away to a rival lord if she didn't meet his demands.

An individual that would be lying in a pool of his own blood by the end of the night.

_**Just another day of struggle**_

This guard wasn't too much to be worried about. His eyes were absent, most likely very near to drifting to sleep and only keeping awake a very small fragment of aware consciousness. Still, under the suit, the guard had a gun, judging by the odd ruffle of the cloth below his waist.

Softly, the shadow reached into his jacket. With a nearly inaudible shriek of metal, a knife was slid out of its sheath. Holding the blade in a reverse grip, the intruder waited.

_'Five meters. It'll take me a second to cut his throat...but he might alarm someone before I do.'_

Leaning his short tanto on the wall, and hiding the knife inside his sleeve, the shadow stepped out and strolled to the man.

"Oi kid," Now awake from his almost nap, the guard glared at him, annoyed, "What the hell are you doing here? Get out, and wait for your balls to drop before you come back."

When the guard made to grab him, he reacted rather strongly.

His wrist flicked oddly, propelling the knife back into his hand just as the guard realized that the twelve year old was not here out of mistake. He opened his mouth to shout an alarm, and his hand moved to grab the pistol tucked between his belt and hip.

But the kid was a lot faster.

With a quick jab, the knife's blade punctured a wound into the man's throat, severing his voice right before he could even shout an emergency. the hand that had gone for the gun moved to clutch the youth's neck and break it within its grasp, but the boy ducked under the wild grab, dragging the knife down and ripping both shirt and flesh, the man's intestines visible from the large gash that was now gaping wide open.

Blood spurted like a fountain, and the guard's formerly clean suit was now drenched in blood while the boy responsible for the kill had already moved before the blood could touch him. the dying man's mouth opened to scream, yet without his throat, the only thing that came out was a soft hiss of draining air, like a balloon was punctured and leaking air.

Finally, the man's eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he slumped, knees giving out. With a dull thump, the man fell unto the ground, in a lake of his own crimson water, and a forever silent pulse.

"Kyaah!" A short cry of shock made the boy turn his head, alarmed by the scream. A woman, most likely a prostitute, had come out from the bathrooms and was staring at the gore with her mouth hanging open in horror. She looked at him, then fell back, crawling away until she hit the dead end of all dead ends.

Silently, the boy moved to her.

"N-no...please...I don't..."Tears fell down her face - a pretty face if anyone was to be honest. But her beauty would not help her if she was at the wrong place at the wrong time. It was fortunate for the assassin that the woman's earlier scream wasn't too loud, easily mistakable for one of the others, below. But she was still a threat to the contract...she was still a threat that could turn for the worse, and threats were something he could not afford.

The boy walked to her.

"I d-don't...wanna die...please...I won't say anything! Just don't-"

The boy's hand covered her mouth just as the knife pierced her heart. A quick, painless death. With a fading stare, the boy closed the girl's black eyes and wiped the small trickle of blood dripping down her chin away on his sleeve.

"I'm sorry..."

_**Just another day of regret**_

He should have checked the damn bathroom... he shook away the thoughts. He could be angry at himself later.

Grab his sword.

Go up the stairs.

Pass the corridor.

Second door on the right.

He pressed his back to the wall, his hand reaching just above his shoulder and wrapping loosely around the hilt of a blade, ready to be taken out within a single twitch of his elbow. His ear on the wooden door, he listened to the conversation inside, trying to isolate words from the bothering sounds of the whore house. Filtering the aggravating noise was something he wished he could do with as much ease as Yuka, but right now, he would have to make do with his own abilities.

_"Bos-...really...idea?"_

_"Doesn...kill..."_

Damn it, the wood was too thick. He couldn't hear enough. His target was in this room, but he couldn't very well barge in and stab the man without even so much as a word.

It would be rude, after all, and he preferred to kill you when you didn't see it coming.

'_C'mon...gotta be a way to get in...'_

...Is that an air vent?

...Light bulb.

**XxXxX**

Dosu was a very...persistent man.

It was how he had become the boss of his very own gang - by being stubborn, ruthless and unmerciful. the previous boss was unable to do anything when one of his most trusted employees came and put a bullet in his head. After that?

Every little thing could be bought by money in this world. Subordinates of the boss? No different.

In his office, the slightly overweight man listened as a pair of his subordinates rambled on his latest course of action.

"Yuka is one of the three main crime lords inside of the ghettos! Aggravating her is something only the other two would even think of, boss. Are you sure we can get out of this?"

"Shut yer traps!" the yakuza shouted. Both of them fell silent, "Barrel doesn't have a choice on the matter. I've already formed blood between the Katana's boss, thanks to the marriage of our kids. that bitch, Yuka won't act on retribution if I have one of the other gangs on my side. If she does, it'll be an excuse to start a gang war she wouldn't have a chance of winning."

"But still..." the other tried to argue.

"I've made my damn decision!" He was starting to get annoyed, "Now get out!"

"...Yes, boss."

The door shut with a soft click, and Dosu leaned into his chair and lit a cigar. The thick smog started to flood the room, and the man tried to breathe it to ease away the growing headache.

Yuka wouldn't retaliate.

She was helpless.

She couldn't do anything.

His plan was perfect...

Right?

When the air vent above him suddenly crashed on his desk, anything he would've thought on the matter was replaced by surprise. Imagine what he felt when a blonde haired boy with a sword landed in front of him. Dosu barely managed a shriek before a twelve-year old Wolf Arashi gave him a very quick haircut, starting at the neck.

Wolf sighed, staring at the body of a headless yakuza boss.

_**Just another day**_


End file.
